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A Catholic high school said it will begin with random drug testing students in January 2020. Administrators at Stephen T. Badin High School in Hamilton, 30 miles north of Cincinnati, sent a letter home to parents informing them of the “aggressive” initiative, aimed at shielding students who may feel “pressured into experimenting with drugs.”
"The impact of drug use on young students and their families is staggering and our community is not immune to this issue," the school said in a letter on its website. “All students are capable of making mistakes and it is our job to ensure that students learn from them and grow through the process with the support and guidance of their family and the leadership of the school,” the letter states.
The letter continued: “Attendance at Badin High School is not a right, but a privilege in which students and parents/guardians are to act in a way that supports the health, safety and well-being of all students.”
According to the new policy, students will be subject to random testing at least once a year but there is no maximum number of times a student may be tested.
As the NBC reports, if a student tests positive, a parent or guardian must be notified and the student must undergo an evaluation by a medical professional and be tested again within 90 days. A refusal to take a test will be considered a positive test.
“We believe that there is a spiritual aspect to all drug and alcohol abuse and that the abuse of these substances is an attempt on some level to fill a void that was meant to be filled only by God,” the school said in a statement on its website.
“Vaping products are illegal on school property and are considered a violation of school policy. Due to the increased usage of vapor products in the teen population across the country, we are making our policy clear so that all students and parents understand the ramifications of having or using a vapor product at school, on school grounds or at any school-related function (event),” officials said.
If some student is positive on drugs, he will be punished first time with a five-day suspension and family notification and if someone’s test is positive three times, that student will be expelled.
