San Marcos quits drug testing students

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) - Jennifer Mazac is in her final year at San Marcos High School . She is one of 1,200 students who have been drug tested during the last five years.

"I was pulled out [of class] and I just did the drug test. It was during my freshman year," said Mazac.

The district reported 54 students were randomly selected each month -- 30 at the high school and 12 at each of the two middle schools.

"The reason they [the previous school board] started the drug testing policy was not to catch kids doing drugs, but to give students an option out of doing drugs," said Kathy Hansen, San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District board president.

The program, targeted toward students in extra-curricular activities like sports and band, was funded by a Safe and Drug Free Schools Grant . A total of $36,400 was spent on the testing, which picks up on everything from marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine to addictive prescription medication.

The district also paid an employee $2,000 from its own funds to coordinate testing, and covered drug counseling for students who tested postive. The first time a student was caught with drugs in his or her system, such students were suspended from activities for three months and had to participate in the next three drug tests.

The school board was supposed to review the program after a year, but never did until last month when the federal grant was taken away.

The school board learned in the last five years, only five high school students tested positive for drugs.

"The expenses are too much; there are very few students that are being caught," said school board member David Castillo.

So the board voted to stop the program. It took into consideration that continuing to test using tax dollars could jeopardize the district's balanced budget, lower tax rate and teacher raises.

There is still a chance athletes will be tested for anabolic steroids by the University Interscholastic League . San Marcos CISD students have already been selected twice.

But when it comes to other drugs, students wonder what their classmates will do now that testing is out of the picture.

"I think it was a good thing," said San Marcos High School senior Alex Aranda

Even when a low number of students are caught, some would argue the drug testing alone serves as a deterrent. Mazac predicted the chances of students experimenting with drugs will be greater.

"They don't have to worry about it anymore, so it's probably going to be prone to happen some more," said Mazac.

But the school board would have to disagree.

"I really don't, I don't see that as a problem. I think we would have had more positives if it was a problem and if we've had a much larger number of positive tests, I think we would have kept the program going," said Hansen.

Hansen said the board may decide at any point to revisit the issue. There is always a possibility the district could start testing students again if there are signs illegal drug use is a problem.