July 2008
Dear Lancer parents,
I hope you have had a wonderful summer and our preparing for a great year with you student(s) at Orange Lutheran. As principal these past eleven years, I have had many wonderful moments to celebrate with our community. Our students have continued to rise to new levels with their talents and abilities. They are a joy to be around.
Over the years I have seen some of our students battle with the pressures of drugs and alcohol. The Parent Pledge program was designed several years ago to develop a partnership with families and the school to discourage use of these substances. This year, I am happy to announce another deterrent for our students.
Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, Orange Lutheran High School will implement a random drug-testing program for our students. I have attached an explanation of the procedure and how it will be implemented. We will be random in the day of the week students are tested and also the method. We will use both hair and urine tests. An outside collection agency and lab will process the results. I really believe that this program will give many of our students the “out” that they need when confronted with the temptation to use illegal drugs. Being able to say, “My school tests us,” should be a good excuse that can get them away from an uncomfortable situation.
Please examine the enclosed information. We will be discussing this further at our new student orientation meeting and also back-to-school night. Thank you for your cooperation in advance.
be God’s,
Gregg A. Pinick
Executive Director
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Drug Testing Program
Orange Lutheran High School is a community fully committed to providing an environment that is free from illegal drugs and alcohol. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he encourages them with the following words: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Recognizing that the use of drugs and alcohol by students is inconsistent with the Biblical admonition that the body “is a temple of the Holy Spirit,” and that the use of drugs and alcohol is detrimental to the health and safety of the students, Orange Lutheran High School has instituted a school wide mandatory random drug testing program as a proactive approach to a truly drug free school. The purpose of this program is threefold:
1. To provide for the health and safety of all students.
2. To reduce effects of peer pressure by providing a legitimate reason for students to refuse to use illegal drugs.
3. To encourage students who use drugs to participate in drug treatment programs.
The emphasis of our program is placed on a proactive approach in maintaining a drug free school. This random testing program is designed to create a safe, drug-free environment for our school community and to assist students in getting help when needed.
STUDENT SELECTION
Each week students will be randomly selected from the student body at large to provide samples. Students will also be selected for testing if there is a reasonable suspicion that they may have drugs in their system. Reasonable suspicion could be based on some of, but not limited to, the following circumstances:
1. Behavioral conduct that causes reasonable suspicion to believe that there is the presence of illegal or unauthorized drugs in an individual’s body fluids based upon specific personal observations concerning behavior, speech, actions, and/or body odors.
2. Other circumstances which would indicate that an individual is reporting to school in other than a sober and reliable state, free from the influence of drugs.
Once a student has been selected for a test, his/her name will not be withdrawn from the pool of names for subsequent testing.
SAMPLE COLLECTION
Samples will be collected by a certified outside collection agency who will maintain a confidential chain of custody for each specimen. Samples will be collected at an appropriate time on the same day the student is selected for testing. If the student is absent on the day they are selected, then the sample will be collected on the day the student returns to school.
CONSEQUENCES
First Positive Test
When a student is identified with a positive test, the student must:
1. Participate in a substance abuse counseling program consisting of a minimum of personal counseling (frequency and duration of visits to be determined and documented by the therapist). This counseling must be provided by a professional licensed therapist and is to begin within two weeks of notification being made.
2. After 30 days from the original testing, the student will be tested at least twice per month for an undetermined period of time. This additional testing will be at the expense of the parents/guardian and the results must be made available to the school.
3. The student’s name remains in the pool for future random testing.
Second Positive Test
Should a student be identified with a second positive test, the student will be required to withdraw from Orange Lutheran High School. The second positive test consequence applies over a four year period or as long as the student is enrolled at Orange Lutheran High School.
Students who refuse to be tested, fail to arrive for testing, attempt to falsify or contaminate a sample, or otherwise violate a provision of the drug-testing program will be issued the same consequences as a first positive test.
For those students with a documented medical history demonstrating the need for regular use of a prescription drug or over-the-counter medication, a verification signed by a licensed medical practitioner will be required. Students who refuse to provide verification and test positive will be subject to the consequences listed above for positive tests.
PARENT NOTIFICATION
All test results will be sent directly from the lab to the school via a secure email account. All information will be held in the utmost confidence by LHSOC. Parents will only be contacted when the results are positive.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Students participating in extracurricular activities who test positive for substance abuse will have additional penalties imposed on them as outlined in the Extracurricular Code of Conduct.
