Lacey School Board Formally Introduces Drug Testing Program

The Lacey Township Board of Education on Monday night unanimously voted in favor of introducing a measure that will institute a random drug testing program at Lacey Township High School.

The program, created under what is known as a board policy with an accompanying regulation, must be approved with a second vote which is likely to take place at the board's next meeting.

Lacey is poised to become the 19th school district in New Jersey to institute such a program. Locally, Brick Township has had a random drug testing program in place for several years.

Last week, officials held a final public forum on the program, which will include the testing of 30 students per month if the program is approved.

(For details on how the program will work, see our previous story.)

Lacey's proposed program would mirror that of other districts and conform to the relatively strict parameters set forth by the state's Supreme Court on how such programs can be administered.

Students who participate in activities – including one-off activities such as prom or homecoming – or hold a parking pass will be required to sign a form consenting to the program. An outside drug testing firm will come to the school once or twice a month to administer the tests to about 30 students who will be selected randomly by a computer program. They will be called to the nurse's office or a private bathroom where the test will be administered. The students will not be observed by another person while urinating into a collection cup.

A medical review officer – a physician – will review each of the samples collected and, if there is a positive reading, will call a student's parents after about five days, the time it takes to process the test. All positive samples will be retested to ensure accuracy.

The tests will detect the use of alcohol, amphetamines, ecstasy, cocaine, marijuana, opiates, PCP, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, methadone, propoxyphene and oxycodone.

Students who test positive will lose their privileges to participate in extracurricular activities and sports, and will also be required to submit to more tests and meet with a substance abuse counselor.

District officials said the program is meant to be a deterrence to students using drugs as Ocean County battles a growing drug epidemic.

So far in 2013, 90 county residents have died of drug overdoses. Lacey has seen 28 overdoses and six deaths this year. Of those 28 overdoses, more than half – 15 in all – occurred in victims ages 15 to 28.