Etowah County Schools drug testing program

The Etowah County Board of Education voted this week to continue its contract with Etowah County Community Corrections for drug testing students involved in sports or other extracurricular activities, or who drive on campus at the system’s schools.  However, the board plans to check on what it would cost to increase the number of times students are randomly tested.  It approved a drug-testing policy for grades 7 through 12 in July 2013. That policy has been effective, Superintendent Alan Cosby said.  Two types of drug tests are used. Saliva tests detect several drugs, including marijuana and alcohol. The urine panel tests for more drugs, including synthetic marijuana.  Each student who participates in extracurricular activities or drives to school has to agree to be included on the list for testing. Testing is random, but any student who might be identified as having a problem can also be tested. Each eligible student is assigned a number, and those numbers are chosen at random. Cosby said it costs almost $15,000 annually for the drug testing. A specific number of tests are included in that price. Etowah County Community Corrections, a private organization, has a contract with the Alabama Department of Corrections and does drug testing for the court system as part of an alternative sentencing program.