Citing 'rampant' marijuana use among students, Naperville School District 203 officials are considering the idea of implementing random drug tests for high school athletes.
Earlier: Citing 'Rampant' Pot Use, Naperville District 203 Considers Random Drug Testing
Along with athletes, students participating in extracurricular activities may also be subjected to testing.
In 2011, officials from north suburban Lake Zurich School District 95 rejected a proposal that would require Lake Zurich High School athletes and students involved in extracurricular activities to submit to random drug testing.
Closer to home, Joliet Catholic Academy is currently the only school with a mandatory drug testing policy in Will, Grundy, Kendall and DuPage counties, according to the academy.
Last year, all students at the academy were tested at least once, with a "success rate" of 99.996 percent, according to the academy.
We asked readers if random drug tests should be put in place at D203 on the Naperville Patch Facebook page. Here's what they had to say:
Test the entire staff, too
Everyone in the schools - students, staff and faculty - should be drug tested. Many employers test their employees for drugs so the kids (and the school employees) should get used to it. - Maureen Brown Thomas
Dont think it should be just for athletes, should be random for the entire school including staff. - Ann Guinand-Cummings
It should be for all educators not just the kids! - Manal Gorgey
A slippery slope
The problem isn't with drug testing it's with deciding what the consequences should be and then administering the consequences. Who gets the results and who decides on the punishments? The schools already have athletic codes of conduct and from the outside looking in, the consequences to violations do not always appear to be administered equitably. And, if you're going to test athletes you better be testing the chess and robotics club kids too - drugs and alcohol don't discriminate and neither should we. - Mary Reid-Vizintos
I do agree with Mary on the consequences and who can get ahold of the results - it could all get funky. If they could figure that out ... but then again - we would be chasing a dog we would not catch. - Sandra Conti
Where would this take us? What kind of record would exist? Would the courts be involved? In an age of digital records and wide access, what are the consequences for those who test positive? Would State Universities learn? What is happening in other school districts? - David Laipple
I don't think singling out a group is the way to go. In a country where all "men" are created equal.....random also brings with it all sort of "Profiling" allegations. Not sure the district has the budget to handle that. - Shari Johnson Nornes
Drug tests are the right idea
I'm surprised more people dont want this..... It sounds like people don't want their kid held accountable but they want other kids. - Omer Aslam
Let parents handle the issue
No. What's next? Drug testing for everyone? It seems unconstitutional. If a parent of a minor child wants to test their child, then they can do so privately. - Heather McIntyre Bales
Opt-in program
This was done in my high school almost 10 years ago--parents had to opt into it though. But I agree that it shouldn't be for only athletes, but for all students. - Alisha Sommer
Don't single out pot, test for all substances
Booze is a bigger problem. If the district is planning to test for substances, test for all substances especially alcohol and test the school board members and school staff as well. - Sue Milewski
What about the rampant use of Herion in Naperville?? How many kids have we lost to this drug?? TOO MANY!! - Patricia White Horwitz
Where is the line drawn?
Sure, and morning strip searches, too. Ya can't be too careful. - Brian Watt
What do you think? Should Naperville School District 203 implement random drug testing at high schools?