Ohio prohibits public schools from drug testing students outside of extracurricular activities, but that law does not apply for private schools.
MORE: Dayton Catholic high schools to begin drug testing all students
Middletown’s Fenwick High School and Hamilton’s Badin High Schools both told the Journal-News they have discussed the idea of implementing some level of drug testing students, and not just for sports or activities. However, neither school has plans to implement a policy anytime soon.
Badin High School Principal Brian Pendergest said it’s been talked about it internally.
“It is not something we are planning to implement in this coming school year, but we have discussed it and are considering our options,” he said.
Fenwick Assistant Principal Jason Umberg, whose alma mater LaSalle High School began drug testing students a few years ago, said they’re at the point of just evaluating policies that other schools have in place.
“We don’t want to do something that’s punitive in nature, but we do want to do something that’s educational,” said Umberg, who said the earliest any policy could be in place would be for 2018-19 school year. “We have good kids, and these good kids are still surrounded by a lot of bad options. We want to help them keep making the right decisions.”
Two Dayton area Catholic schools announced plans earlier this week to begin drug testing students.
Carroll High School will begin drug testing its students beginning with the 2017-18 school year, and Chaminade-Julienne is set to begin in the 2018-19 school year. Carroll is operated under the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and Chaminade-Julienne is operated under by the Sisters of Notre Dame and Society of Mary.
But the effectiveness of drug testing polices is questionable, according to some studies.
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An American Academy of Pediatrics study said, "Although any reduction in student drug use is beneficial, it is questionable whether school-based drug testing is the best use of limited school resources." A January 2014 academic study indicated drug testing "was not associated with changes in substance use."
The National Institutes on Drug Abuse indicates more research is needed as there is “conflicting findings between past-month and past-year substance use.”
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, which has a 19-county territory that stretches from Hamilton and Clermont counties north to Mercer, Auglaize and Logan counties, gives its high schools a high level of autonomy when it comes to implementing policies, said Cincinnati Archdiocese spokesman Dan Andriacco.
“We support whatever steps by an administration and board they think is necessary for the safety of students for a great educational experience,” he said. “One of our strengths is that most of our decision-making is made at the level closest to the students.”
LaSalle High School on Cincinnati’s west side has tested its students for the past few years, and Moeller High School will begin drug testing students in the 2017-18 school year.
“We debated it back and forth because we don’t have a drug problem, and because of societal issues we wanted to have a good ground game,” said Moeller spokeswoman Teresa Meyer. “We want (students) to be well-equipped.”
Moeller administrators, including incoming Fenwick principal Blane Collison who previously was Moeller’s principal, understand the epidemic knows no socio-economic bounds, and the students may be impacted when they graduate, Meyer said.
RELATED: More schools testing students for drugs
Purcell Marian, in the Cincinnati neighborhood of East Walnut Hills, implemented a volunteer drug prevention program for the 2016-17 school year and around 10 percent of families of the school’s 400-student population signed up for drug testing. The program will be mandatory for the 2017-18 school year, said Purcell Marian school spokeswoman Tammy Reasoner.
“There’s no denying that there’s a nationwide drug crisis, but we’re empowering our students if they ever have exposure to it. Pressure’s tough (for teenagers),” Reasoner said.
Initially making the drug testing program voluntary “was a good way to introduce it,” she said.
“We’ve had very positive feedback from the families who did participate, and gave wider acceptance the program with parents who were skeptical of it,” she said.
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