July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Drug testing proposed (02/26/08)
Jay School Board
By By JACK RONALD-
A proposal for random drug testing of some Jay County High School students prompted a sometimes heated philosophical debate Monday night with the administration on one side and the president of the school board vocally on the other.
The policy proposal, which was brought to the board by assistant superintendent Wood Barwick, would call for random drug testing of students involved in athletics and extra-curricular activities as well as all students who drive to school.
But board president Bryan Alexander questioned the rationale for the policy and labeled it "symbolism over substance."
"This is a drastic measure, and before I think we should take a drastic measure there has to be proof that there is a real problem," said Alexander.
The policy proposal, put together by JCHS principal Jeremy Gulley and reviewed by school corporation attorney Phil Frantz, says, "General knowledge, increasing incidents at Jay County High School, surveys of students and other sources indicate a growing drug problem at Jay County High School which must be addressed in as many ways as possible."
"I don't think that statement's erroneous," said Barwick.
But Alexander said that without solid data he finds the concern overblown. "This is 'Family Feud' policy, as in 'survey says,' he said.
Noting his opposition to breathalyzer tests for students attending the prom, he added, "We have to have some level of trust with these kids. ... My kids will not attend a school that has this policy. I think this is a clear over-step."
"What do you want to do, Bryan?" asked board member Jay Halstead, a former Indiana State Police trooper. "Nothing?"
Superintendent Tim Long defended the policy proposal and said that the reasons for concern are grounded in fact.
"The kids know. They know what the level of alcohol use is. They know what the level of drug use is," said Long. "The recommendation from this chair is that it's a good policy and it ought to be put in. It would be my recommendation that we move forward."
Long and Barwick said that they would bring available data on JCHS drug use, including expulsion figures, to the board in support of the proposed policy.
Monday's policy presentation did not call for board action, though the policy would require a vote if adopted when it returns to the board next month.
Board member Mike Shannon spoke in favor of the policy because it would have "more teeth" than the policy now in place, which requires school authorities to have a reasonable suspicion of drug or alcohol use before requiring a test.
"How many schools in Indiana are (randomly) testing?" asked board member Frank Vormohr. School officials said they did not know.
Frantz told the board the policy proposal follows current constitutional guidelines. "This pretty much follows a couple of schools that have been to the Supreme Court," he said.
Frantz explained that random drug testing of all students has been found to be unconstitutional. "You can only do it with things that are a privilege, not a right," he said. "That's the only way this can happen."[[In-content Ad]]Bids will be sought in March for construction of a new auxiliary gym/multi-purpose facility at Jay County High School and three other capital projects.
The Jay School Board authorized advertising for bids Monday for the multi-purpose building, the re-paving of high school tennis courts, the re-roofing of West Jay Middle School, and the completion of classroom work on heating, ventilation and air conditioning at Bloomfield Elementary School.
"Basically the projects have really not changed," architect Kari Vilamaa of Barton-Coe-Vilamaa, Fort Wayne, said Monday.
Plans call for a pre-engineered metal building, with a number of alternates that will depend upon what sort of prices come in through the bidding process.
Bids on all four projects will be opened at 1 p.m. on March 14.
A pre-bid meeting for interested contractors is set for 9 a.m. on March 6 at the administrative office building.
The board voted earlier this year to have Vilamaa proceed with developing specifications for bidding, though it won't make its final decision on whether to go forward with the auxiliary gym project until the bids are received and reviewed.
Superintendent Tim Long told board members replacement of the sign at Jay County High School is moving forward. Long envisions a sign with LED graphic display that would replace the original sign with movable letters.
"It looks like we're going to be able to do that with Display Craft," said Long, referring to the Portland business. He estimated the cost to be less than $30,000 and said it was included in the high school renovation project.
Another structural change at JCHS will take place next school year when the high school returns to the five-block schedule.
Assistant superintendent Wood Barwick said the Indiana Department of Education granted a waiver to allow the five-block format to return after Barwick was able to document that the current schedule format led to a drop in vocational and technical class participation. He noted that the schedule change still must go through discussions with the Jay Classroom Teachers Association.
Long provided the board with an enthusiastic report on last week's kick-off of the Character Counts program in Jay Schools.
"We had some really dynamic functions," said Long. He noted more than 4,000 people were on hand for Friday night's event. "That was probably one of the greatest events I've been associated with in a public school. It was just a very good day."
Business manager Brad DeRome said work continues in investigating whether to participate in an employee insurance consortium with other school corporations in order to save money. Originally eight school districts were looking at forming a consortium, but that has narrowed to three.
"We're not looking at anything to be done very quickly," said DeRome. "We're trying to do the ground work." He estimated it would be 2009 before any consortium could go into effect.
DeRome also noted there's continued uncertainty over the school corporation's budget because of reassessment required by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance.
"As we sit here right now we still ldo not have an approved budget for 2008," he said. "That will hopefully happen within the next two months."
In other business, the board:
•Hired Keith Bousman as special education teacher at East Jay Middle School, Linda Potter as music teacher at East Jay, Roxanna Gains as custodian at East Jay, Vicki Keen as special education instructional assistant at JCHS, Dana McClung as adult education teacher ataJohn Jay Center for Learning, John Ferguson as adult education teacher at John Jay, Gary Tarr as adult education teacher at John Jay, Michelle Keever as special education instructional assitant at JCHS, Eric Hemmelgarn as fifth grade high ability teacher at East Elementary School, Dennis Dwiggins as driver education teacher at JCHS, and Ted Habegger as driver education teacher at JCHS.
•Heard a presentation on the Future City Competition from West Jay students.
•Commended West Jay student Melinda Penrod for being recognized by the U.S. Achievement Academy as a National English Merit Award winner.
•Accepted the resignations of Tracy Hankins as special education instructional assistant at JCHS and Debra Weaver as part-time food service employee.
•Approved leaves for bus driver Virginia Myers, reading recovery teacher Angela Couch, East Jay dean Robert Phelps, reading recovery teacher Chandra Dawson, special education teacher Jamie Quire, and secretary Deanna Gillespie.
•Approved Sam Racster as volunteer assistant tennis coach at JCHS, Kyle Champ as volunteer assistant baseball coach at JCHS, Ronald Harrington as volunteer theater arts worker at JCHS, Kyle Kerrigan as assistant wrestling coach at West Jay, Rick Wellman as eighth grade girls' basketball coach at East Jay, Becky Wellman as seventh grade girls' basketball coach at East Jay, Violet Current as girls' track coach at Weest Jay, Andrea Current as girls' track coach at West Jay, Kelly Bricker as girls' track coach at West Jay, Larry Stultz as boys' track coach at West Jay, and Joshua Stultz as head boys' track coach at West Jay.
•Approved field trips by high school art and Spanish students to the Art Institute of Chicago and the West Jay band to King's Island.
•Approved bus requests from the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana and the Jay Community Center.
•Accepted a $150 grant from the Indianapolis Colts to Rex Pinkerton's third grade class at Judge Haynes Elementary School.
•Appointed Susan McCombs and Gary Wilson to the Dunkirk City Public Library Board.
The policy proposal, which was brought to the board by assistant superintendent Wood Barwick, would call for random drug testing of students involved in athletics and extra-curricular activities as well as all students who drive to school.
But board president Bryan Alexander questioned the rationale for the policy and labeled it "symbolism over substance."
"This is a drastic measure, and before I think we should take a drastic measure there has to be proof that there is a real problem," said Alexander.
The policy proposal, put together by JCHS principal Jeremy Gulley and reviewed by school corporation attorney Phil Frantz, says, "General knowledge, increasing incidents at Jay County High School, surveys of students and other sources indicate a growing drug problem at Jay County High School which must be addressed in as many ways as possible."
"I don't think that statement's erroneous," said Barwick.
But Alexander said that without solid data he finds the concern overblown. "This is 'Family Feud' policy, as in 'survey says,' he said.
Noting his opposition to breathalyzer tests for students attending the prom, he added, "We have to have some level of trust with these kids. ... My kids will not attend a school that has this policy. I think this is a clear over-step."
"What do you want to do, Bryan?" asked board member Jay Halstead, a former Indiana State Police trooper. "Nothing?"
Superintendent Tim Long defended the policy proposal and said that the reasons for concern are grounded in fact.
"The kids know. They know what the level of alcohol use is. They know what the level of drug use is," said Long. "The recommendation from this chair is that it's a good policy and it ought to be put in. It would be my recommendation that we move forward."
Long and Barwick said that they would bring available data on JCHS drug use, including expulsion figures, to the board in support of the proposed policy.
Monday's policy presentation did not call for board action, though the policy would require a vote if adopted when it returns to the board next month.
Board member Mike Shannon spoke in favor of the policy because it would have "more teeth" than the policy now in place, which requires school authorities to have a reasonable suspicion of drug or alcohol use before requiring a test.
"How many schools in Indiana are (randomly) testing?" asked board member Frank Vormohr. School officials said they did not know.
Frantz told the board the policy proposal follows current constitutional guidelines. "This pretty much follows a couple of schools that have been to the Supreme Court," he said.
Frantz explained that random drug testing of all students has been found to be unconstitutional. "You can only do it with things that are a privilege, not a right," he said. "That's the only way this can happen."[[In-content Ad]]Bids will be sought in March for construction of a new auxiliary gym/multi-purpose facility at Jay County High School and three other capital projects.
The Jay School Board authorized advertising for bids Monday for the multi-purpose building, the re-paving of high school tennis courts, the re-roofing of West Jay Middle School, and the completion of classroom work on heating, ventilation and air conditioning at Bloomfield Elementary School.
"Basically the projects have really not changed," architect Kari Vilamaa of Barton-Coe-Vilamaa, Fort Wayne, said Monday.
Plans call for a pre-engineered metal building, with a number of alternates that will depend upon what sort of prices come in through the bidding process.
Bids on all four projects will be opened at 1 p.m. on March 14.
A pre-bid meeting for interested contractors is set for 9 a.m. on March 6 at the administrative office building.
The board voted earlier this year to have Vilamaa proceed with developing specifications for bidding, though it won't make its final decision on whether to go forward with the auxiliary gym project until the bids are received and reviewed.
Superintendent Tim Long told board members replacement of the sign at Jay County High School is moving forward. Long envisions a sign with LED graphic display that would replace the original sign with movable letters.
"It looks like we're going to be able to do that with Display Craft," said Long, referring to the Portland business. He estimated the cost to be less than $30,000 and said it was included in the high school renovation project.
Another structural change at JCHS will take place next school year when the high school returns to the five-block schedule.
Assistant superintendent Wood Barwick said the Indiana Department of Education granted a waiver to allow the five-block format to return after Barwick was able to document that the current schedule format led to a drop in vocational and technical class participation. He noted that the schedule change still must go through discussions with the Jay Classroom Teachers Association.
Long provided the board with an enthusiastic report on last week's kick-off of the Character Counts program in Jay Schools.
"We had some really dynamic functions," said Long. He noted more than 4,000 people were on hand for Friday night's event. "That was probably one of the greatest events I've been associated with in a public school. It was just a very good day."
Business manager Brad DeRome said work continues in investigating whether to participate in an employee insurance consortium with other school corporations in order to save money. Originally eight school districts were looking at forming a consortium, but that has narrowed to three.
"We're not looking at anything to be done very quickly," said DeRome. "We're trying to do the ground work." He estimated it would be 2009 before any consortium could go into effect.
DeRome also noted there's continued uncertainty over the school corporation's budget because of reassessment required by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance.
"As we sit here right now we still ldo not have an approved budget for 2008," he said. "That will hopefully happen within the next two months."
In other business, the board:
•Hired Keith Bousman as special education teacher at East Jay Middle School, Linda Potter as music teacher at East Jay, Roxanna Gains as custodian at East Jay, Vicki Keen as special education instructional assistant at JCHS, Dana McClung as adult education teacher ataJohn Jay Center for Learning, John Ferguson as adult education teacher at John Jay, Gary Tarr as adult education teacher at John Jay, Michelle Keever as special education instructional assitant at JCHS, Eric Hemmelgarn as fifth grade high ability teacher at East Elementary School, Dennis Dwiggins as driver education teacher at JCHS, and Ted Habegger as driver education teacher at JCHS.
•Heard a presentation on the Future City Competition from West Jay students.
•Commended West Jay student Melinda Penrod for being recognized by the U.S. Achievement Academy as a National English Merit Award winner.
•Accepted the resignations of Tracy Hankins as special education instructional assistant at JCHS and Debra Weaver as part-time food service employee.
•Approved leaves for bus driver Virginia Myers, reading recovery teacher Angela Couch, East Jay dean Robert Phelps, reading recovery teacher Chandra Dawson, special education teacher Jamie Quire, and secretary Deanna Gillespie.
•Approved Sam Racster as volunteer assistant tennis coach at JCHS, Kyle Champ as volunteer assistant baseball coach at JCHS, Ronald Harrington as volunteer theater arts worker at JCHS, Kyle Kerrigan as assistant wrestling coach at West Jay, Rick Wellman as eighth grade girls' basketball coach at East Jay, Becky Wellman as seventh grade girls' basketball coach at East Jay, Violet Current as girls' track coach at Weest Jay, Andrea Current as girls' track coach at West Jay, Kelly Bricker as girls' track coach at West Jay, Larry Stultz as boys' track coach at West Jay, and Joshua Stultz as head boys' track coach at West Jay.
•Approved field trips by high school art and Spanish students to the Art Institute of Chicago and the West Jay band to King's Island.
•Approved bus requests from the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana and the Jay Community Center.
•Accepted a $150 grant from the Indianapolis Colts to Rex Pinkerton's third grade class at Judge Haynes Elementary School.
•Appointed Susan McCombs and Gary Wilson to the Dunkirk City Public Library Board.
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