Published: April 28, 2008 11:14 pm      

Random drug testing approved by Trinity ISD

Middle school and high school students in the Trinity Independent School District involved in extracurricular activities will be subject to random drug testing beginning in the 2008-09 school year.

The decision to implement a random drug testing plan was made during a regular meeting of the TISD school board Monday.

The board also approved a resolution supporting the sub-regional planning commission of Region 14 to be known as the Trinity-Neches Texas Sub-Regional Planning Commission, a group focused on discontinuing construction of the Trans-Texas Corridor.

“A few months ago, one of our coaches came and talked to us about random drug testing and a plan we could potentially adopt,” said TISD superintendent Bobby Rice. “Last month, we looked at a policy put together by the Texas Association of School Boards based on our requirements, and we made the decision [Monday] to approve that policy.

“It was built entirely as the board presented it to TASB, and they made sure we were legal. The policy will go into effect next school year.”

Rice said the decision to direct the policy to students involved in extracurricular activities was to provide a way for the majority of TISD students to resist the peer pressure to do drugs.

“With this policy, all middle school and high school students in extracurricular programs will be subject to random drug testing, and the purpose of this policy is to give students an opportunity and a reason to say no to drugs,” Rice said. “Kids today are under a lot of peer pressure to do things that are wrong, and this is giving them an out.

“We have so many students who participate in extracurricular activities, this will give most of our students a chance to not do these types of things.”

Rice said the district worked with both additional school districts and faculty members to develop the policy.

“We primarily talked with other districts about what they were doing and how their policies were working,” he said.

Connie Fogel, a representative from the sub-regional planning commission of Region 14 to be known as the Trinity-Neches Texas Sub-Regional Planning Commission, addressed the board to solicit their support and a board representative to work with the group.

The primary focus of the group, Fogel said, was to prevent the construction of the Trans-Texas Corridor in Region 14.

After discussing the proposal, the board decided to appoint Rice or a representative of his choice to work with the group.

“This puts us on a government to government standpoint with the Texas Department of Transportation,” she said. “It puts us on equal footing, and the formation of the commission means that, by law, they have to conform to our policies to the very best they can.

“Our policy is that there will be no Trans-Texas Corridor or multi-mobile transportation network through our commission’s jurisdiction.”

In addition, the board approved the application for the $488,000 Vision 2020 grant from the Texas Education Agency which, if received, would provide funds for the district to purchase laptop computers for every student in sixth-grade through eighth-grade.

“This grant would be a big bonus for our school district,” Rice said. “If we were to receive the grant, we would receive laptop computers for the students in the appropriate grades, and the computers would actually be checked out to them to be used for school work.”

Rice said the district would have an answer about whether the district received the grant or not by mid-June.

Finally, the board offered probationary teaching contracts to Shelia Neal, Mandi Martin, Tristian Schwenke, Shaun Stout and Tally Jo Stout.

The board also accepted letters of resignation from Debbie Karnes, Marti Colvin and Kathy Davis.

In other action, the board:

• approved the increase of attorney fees from 15 percent to 20 percent;

• approved formatted campus plans;

• approved the change of date for a regularly scheduled board meeting from May 26 to May 19;

• approved the adoption of new elementary math text books;

• and approved an updated district technology plan.