Athletics
Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy
WINONA SCHOOL DISTRICT
EXTRACURRICULAR DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING POLICY
EXTRACURRICULAR DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING POLICY
** This policy is intended to address only the Winona Public School District (WPSD) extracurricular drug and alcohol-testing program. This policy does not address the issue of drug or alcohol possession. Possession is addressed in our district policy manual and student handbooks.
I. Policy
The Winona Public School District (WPSD) recognizes the drug and alcohol use by students participating in extracurricular activities presents special concerns about the dangerous combination of drugs or alcohol and extracurricular activities. While the misuse or abuse of alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription and even non-prescription drugs is unsafe for any student, the physical demands placed upon activity student's use of drugs or alcohol increases the risk of activity-related injuries and impairs judgement, coordination and reaction , leading to injuries during competition to both the student using drugs and other students of opponents. Activity conditioning can be continuous, so the concern for safety does not diminish during the off-season of an activity.
The incidence of drug use by WPSD students grades 7-12, especially activity students, is not vast. Even though the number of cases is small, the danger to individual students is magnified by physical exertion. Additionally, WPSD finds that since physical conditioning, practice and competition can often be an almost daily activity, the indication of drug use in the recent past means that (1.) the activity student most probably has exercised with the drug or alcohol in the student's system and (2.) the activity student may exercise under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the future unless there is reasonable intervention provided in this policy.
In addition to focusing on the serious health risks posed by activity student drug and alcohol use, WPSD has elected to test activity students because of their status within the school community. Activity students generally are prominent members of the student body viewed with admiration and respect. This status places activity students in leadership roles that give them the power to influence other students' behavior. Accordingly, drug and alcohol use by activity students can have negative effect on the general health and welfare of all students.
In response to the serious health risks and other risks posed by activity student drug and alcohol use, WPSD has implemented an extracurricular drug and alcohol testing policy designed to provide early detection of drug use and to eradicate or reduce significantly the use and influence of prohibited drugs, alcohol, and other chemicals by students participating in WPSD extracurricular activities.
In pursuit of these purposes, WPSD declares that the use of prohibited drugs and alcohol, or intoxication and physical influence thereof by activity students in inherently unsafe. Such use, intoxication or influence should be detected and prevented, and such activity students should be counseled, educated and monitored.
II. Authority
This policy was adopted and is implemented by the WPSD School Board by and through the Administrative Staffs of Winona Secondary School (WSS).
III. Applicability
All students enrolled in WPSD who are in 7th grade or higher and who participate or who have expressed an intention to participate in any WPSD extracurricular activity shall be subject to drug and/or alcohol testing to extent and manner provided for in this policy.
This policy and any other WPSD drug and alcohol screening policies shall be administered separately and concurrently. Tests occurring under this policy shall not be used for or considered for the purposes of any other WPSD drug and alcohol screening policies. However, test results under this policy may be considered for the purposes of extracurricular activity eligibility and for testing or monitoring. Activity students are subject to both this policy and any other WPSD drug and alcohol screening policies.
IV. Definitions
"Activity Student" means a member of any WSS sponsored school extracurricular organization. This definition includes any student desiring to participate in band, cheerleading, choir and/or athletics.
"Alcohol" or "Alcoholic Beverage" means ethyl alcohol (ethanol). Reference to use of the alcohol includes use of any beverage, mixture or preparation containing ethyl alcohol.
"Coach" or "Activity Director" means the school official assigned the responsibility of directing the daily operation of an extracurricular activity. This includes band, cheerleading, choir and all athletic teams.
"Confirmation Test" means a drug and alcohol test on a specimen to substantiate the results of a prior drug and alcohol test on the specimen. The confirmation test must use an alternate method of equal or greater sensitivity than that used in the previous drug and alcohol test.
"Drug and/or Alcohol Test" means a chemical test administered for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of a drug or alcohol in a person's system.
"Extracurricular Activity" means a WPSD sponsored activity in which a student chooses to participate. This includes band, cheerleading, choir and ann athletic teams. In years subsequent to 2007-2008, other extracurricular activities may be added.
"Illegal Drug" means a prohibited drug as set forth below, a drug listed as illegal under Mississippi law, or a drug that is illegal to use under Mississippi law without a prescription. See Section V of this drug testing policy.
"In-Season" means the time in which there is scheduled active competition of the extracurricular activity.
"Medical Review Officer" or "MRO" means a licensed physician, either a doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy or other medical or scientific expert knowledgeable in drug abuse disorders, approved by the WPSD to interpret, evaluate, and monitor its drug-testing program.
"Negative Drug Test" means a drug or alcohol test that does not show evidence of alcohol or prohibited drug in an activity student's system.
"Performance Enhancing/ Anabolic Steroids" means any natural or synthetic substance used to increase muscle mass, strength, endurance, speed or athletic ability. The term does not include dietary or nutritional supplements such as vitamins, minerals and proteins that can be lawfull purchased over the counter.
"Pool" means all activity students that are eligible for random drug testing.
"Prescription or Non-prescription Medication" means any drug prescribed for use by a duly licensed physician, dentist or other medical practitioner licensed to issue prescriptions or drug that is authorized pursuant to federal or state law for general distribution and use without a prescription in the treatment of human diseases, ailments or injuries.
"Prohibited Drug" means any drug that is considered a part of the group of drugs listed in Section V of this drug-testing policy.
"Random Testing" means a neutral selection basis of testing for drugs and/or alcohol which provides a mechanism for selecting activity students for testing that (1.) results in an equal probability that any student from a pool of activity students subject to the selection mechanism will be selected, and (2.) does not give the WPSD and school personnel the discretion to waive the selection of any activity student selected under the mechanism.
"Reasonable Suspicion Drug or Alcohol Testing" means drug and alcohol testing based on a belief that an activity student is using or has used drugs in violation of this policy as indicated in Section X.
"Specimen" means a tissue or product of the human body chemically capable of revealing the presence of drugs or alcohol in the human body.
"WPSD" means Winona Public School District.
"WSS" means Winona Secondary School.
I. Policy
The Winona Public School District (WPSD) recognizes the drug and alcohol use by students participating in extracurricular activities presents special concerns about the dangerous combination of drugs or alcohol and extracurricular activities. While the misuse or abuse of alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription and even non-prescription drugs is unsafe for any student, the physical demands placed upon activity student's use of drugs or alcohol increases the risk of activity-related injuries and impairs judgement, coordination and reaction , leading to injuries during competition to both the student using drugs and other students of opponents. Activity conditioning can be continuous, so the concern for safety does not diminish during the off-season of an activity.
The incidence of drug use by WPSD students grades 7-12, especially activity students, is not vast. Even though the number of cases is small, the danger to individual students is magnified by physical exertion. Additionally, WPSD finds that since physical conditioning, practice and competition can often be an almost daily activity, the indication of drug use in the recent past means that (1.) the activity student most probably has exercised with the drug or alcohol in the student's system and (2.) the activity student may exercise under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the future unless there is reasonable intervention provided in this policy.
In addition to focusing on the serious health risks posed by activity student drug and alcohol use, WPSD has elected to test activity students because of their status within the school community. Activity students generally are prominent members of the student body viewed with admiration and respect. This status places activity students in leadership roles that give them the power to influence other students' behavior. Accordingly, drug and alcohol use by activity students can have negative effect on the general health and welfare of all students.
In response to the serious health risks and other risks posed by activity student drug and alcohol use, WPSD has implemented an extracurricular drug and alcohol testing policy designed to provide early detection of drug use and to eradicate or reduce significantly the use and influence of prohibited drugs, alcohol, and other chemicals by students participating in WPSD extracurricular activities.
In pursuit of these purposes, WPSD declares that the use of prohibited drugs and alcohol, or intoxication and physical influence thereof by activity students in inherently unsafe. Such use, intoxication or influence should be detected and prevented, and such activity students should be counseled, educated and monitored.
II. Authority
This policy was adopted and is implemented by the WPSD School Board by and through the Administrative Staffs of Winona Secondary School (WSS).
III. Applicability
All students enrolled in WPSD who are in 7th grade or higher and who participate or who have expressed an intention to participate in any WPSD extracurricular activity shall be subject to drug and/or alcohol testing to extent and manner provided for in this policy.
This policy and any other WPSD drug and alcohol screening policies shall be administered separately and concurrently. Tests occurring under this policy shall not be used for or considered for the purposes of any other WPSD drug and alcohol screening policies. However, test results under this policy may be considered for the purposes of extracurricular activity eligibility and for testing or monitoring. Activity students are subject to both this policy and any other WPSD drug and alcohol screening policies.
IV. Definitions
"Activity Student" means a member of any WSS sponsored school extracurricular organization. This definition includes any student desiring to participate in band, cheerleading, choir and/or athletics.
"Alcohol" or "Alcoholic Beverage" means ethyl alcohol (ethanol). Reference to use of the alcohol includes use of any beverage, mixture or preparation containing ethyl alcohol.
"Coach" or "Activity Director" means the school official assigned the responsibility of directing the daily operation of an extracurricular activity. This includes band, cheerleading, choir and all athletic teams.
"Confirmation Test" means a drug and alcohol test on a specimen to substantiate the results of a prior drug and alcohol test on the specimen. The confirmation test must use an alternate method of equal or greater sensitivity than that used in the previous drug and alcohol test.
"Drug and/or Alcohol Test" means a chemical test administered for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of a drug or alcohol in a person's system.
"Extracurricular Activity" means a WPSD sponsored activity in which a student chooses to participate. This includes band, cheerleading, choir and ann athletic teams. In years subsequent to 2007-2008, other extracurricular activities may be added.
"Illegal Drug" means a prohibited drug as set forth below, a drug listed as illegal under Mississippi law, or a drug that is illegal to use under Mississippi law without a prescription. See Section V of this drug testing policy.
"In-Season" means the time in which there is scheduled active competition of the extracurricular activity.
"Medical Review Officer" or "MRO" means a licensed physician, either a doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy or other medical or scientific expert knowledgeable in drug abuse disorders, approved by the WPSD to interpret, evaluate, and monitor its drug-testing program.
"Negative Drug Test" means a drug or alcohol test that does not show evidence of alcohol or prohibited drug in an activity student's system.
"Performance Enhancing/ Anabolic Steroids" means any natural or synthetic substance used to increase muscle mass, strength, endurance, speed or athletic ability. The term does not include dietary or nutritional supplements such as vitamins, minerals and proteins that can be lawfull purchased over the counter.
"Pool" means all activity students that are eligible for random drug testing.
"Prescription or Non-prescription Medication" means any drug prescribed for use by a duly licensed physician, dentist or other medical practitioner licensed to issue prescriptions or drug that is authorized pursuant to federal or state law for general distribution and use without a prescription in the treatment of human diseases, ailments or injuries.
"Prohibited Drug" means any drug that is considered a part of the group of drugs listed in Section V of this drug-testing policy.
"Random Testing" means a neutral selection basis of testing for drugs and/or alcohol which provides a mechanism for selecting activity students for testing that (1.) results in an equal probability that any student from a pool of activity students subject to the selection mechanism will be selected, and (2.) does not give the WPSD and school personnel the discretion to waive the selection of any activity student selected under the mechanism.
"Reasonable Suspicion Drug or Alcohol Testing" means drug and alcohol testing based on a belief that an activity student is using or has used drugs in violation of this policy as indicated in Section X.
"Specimen" means a tissue or product of the human body chemically capable of revealing the presence of drugs or alcohol in the human body.
"WPSD" means Winona Public School District.
"WSS" means Winona Secondary School.