Bushland ISD will now require students to be drug-tested
AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — Drug testing is coming to Bushland Independent School District for students from 7th to 12th grade. It starts when classes begin next month.
Bushland ISD Superintendent Chris Wigington tells ABC, the district is getting ahead of the game and there is not a drug problem among its student body with an enrollment of a little over 1,400 students.
“We’ve discussed drug testing policy for about a year now and the board wants to be proactive,” Wigington said. “They want our kids to have a drug free environment, we want our kids to make great decisions.”
Wigington continues by saying this policy will give students a reason to think twice before taking illegal drugs and not give in.
Before competing in any extracurricular activities like band, chess and football, students must sign a consent form and pass a drug test.
“If they’re interested in athletics, if they’re interested in drama, if they’re interested in band--any of the things that we offer extracurricular, it gives them an opportunity to say NO to peer pressure and say ‘I’m not going to do that because I want to participate,” said Wigington.
Consequences of positive test results will prevent students from competing in extracurriculars, parking on school premises and taking part in social events. The severity will depend on the number of offenses.
But will suspension or expulsion follow?
“These are extracurricular activities, they’re privileges not rights. We don’t want to hurt a student academically, we don’t want to suspend them from school for testing positive for a drug,” said Wigington.
But if you do bring illegal substances or attend school under the influence, the district will apply the student code of conduct as well as state and local policy.
“Great kids make bad decisions every day and what we want to do is make sure that our kids have the opportunity to make mistakes, but come back and make amends, I guess that’s a way to put that,” said Wigington.
Bushland ISD says consequences will not be cumulative, so when students move up from middle school to high school, they will have a clean slate.
