Orrville Drug Testing Finds No Drug Use
Orrville High School has implemented a drug testing program, affecting students in grades seven through 12 who either volunteer to be tested, are athletes, or are involved in competitive extracurriculars.
The text of the drug testing policy states that it was implemented due to concerns that Orrville students may use alcohol or drugs.
The policy states that it involves two stages, a team testing stage and a random testing stage. The team testing stage involves all eligible athletes submitting a urine sample. The random testing stage may occur at any time during the season and can involve the same student more than once. Random testing may occur weekly.
The testing occurs either on school grounds or at a testing facility approved by the Orville Board of Education. Testing is subject to a number of security measures, such as placing lab technicians outside of stalls to ensure that urination is proceeding normally, according to the policy.
According to Orrville High School Athletic Director Audrey Zuercher, the random drug testing at Orrville varies in cost, depending on the budget of the school district in a given year.
Zuercher estimates the current school year’s drug testing will cost the Orrville district $4,500.
However, Zuercher says the program of drug testing has not discovered any evidence of drug use so far.
“We have had 0 positive tests,” Zuercher said.
According to Zuercher, the drug testing program is intended to promote good decision making among students and give them a reason to reject drug-related peer pressure.
Zuercher said the drug testing program has not met with any resistance from the student body and the program has received positive feedback.
Though Jared Lustig, a student from Orrville, has never been drug tested, he supports drug testing, because he believes it will keep the school clean.
Jared Lustig does not know of any cases where drug testing revealed evidence of drug use, supporting Zuercher’s statement. He states the closest thing to someone being caught, that he knows of, was a case where students were found to be drinking, despite the policy of random drug testing.
Joseph Lustig, an Orrville parent, opposes the random drug testing policy because he said the school is overstepping its bounds by attempting to regulate activity outside of school hours.
Lustig states he is disappointed by the student body’s compliance with the drug testing and that the students do not recognize the importance of the issue.
“I feel what they do not understand is it is part of their right[s] that [are] being given away to the adults that don’t have to be tested,” Lustig said.
The opportunity cost associated with drug testing is a matter of concern for Lustig, who said the money spent on testing has been wasted considering the lack of results and that the testing money would better benefit the students by paying for their education.
