Lake City Deadlocks On Drug-Testing Athletes Proposal Sent Back For Study; Principal Wants A Consensus

Lake City High School teachers and administrators deadlocked Thursday on whether to support mandatory drug testing of the school’s athletes.

The faculty and staff voted 30-30 by secret ballot on the proposal, which still would require school board approval before taking effect.

“It’s a controversial issue,” said Henry Hamill, an assistant football coach and head of the physical education department, who voted against the drug tests. “I knew it was going to be split.”

The proposal will go back to committees of students, parents and teachers for re-evaluation, Lake City Principal John Brumley said.

“For it to be successful, it’s going to have to be supported by a clear consensus,” Brumley said.

Although they were split on the drug testing issue, the teachers and administrators unanimously supported two resolutions Thursday. One calls for continued education for students about the dangers of drugs, the other expresses support for activity advisors to enforce the extracurricular participation contract.

Currently, all athletes - about half the student body - must sign a contract vowing not to use alcohol or drugs during the season. Violators are suspended from participating in practices and games for two weeks after the first offense, with stiffer penalties for subsequent ones.

But that contract isn’t always taken seriously, said government teacher Kent Scanlon, who also coaches volleyball and girls golf.

“Over the course of time, I’ve found they don’t read it,” said Scanlon, who supports drug testing. “We need a little more teeth in the contract.”

Scanlon, who has coached for 28 years, said he had mixed emotions about singling out athletes for the tests.

“It’s another small price to pay to enjoy the rewards of extracurricular activities,” he said. “Athletes have always been held to higher standards because they’re the most conspicuous. … They’ve always been the focal point.”

Jim Winger, a geography and English teacher who coaches boys basketball and golf, said signing the contract should be enough to prove that students aren’t using alcohol and drugs.

“I hate to see kids being told, `Well, come pee in the cup now, and we’ll see if you’re an honest kid,”’ Winger said. “Do we really need to go this far?”

Others who opposed the proposal criticized it for only testing athletes.

“Our problem is not in our athletics, it’s in the general population of our students,” Hamill said. “We want everyone tested. … We’re punishing athletes for being athletes.”

If approved, the proposal would add Lake City to a growing list of Idaho high schools that force athletes to take drug tests. Athletes are tested at Priest River Lamanna High School, and a proposal to extend the program to Sandpoint High School is being considered.

As of last fall, athletes were subject to drug tests in the Blackfoot, Buhl, Fremont, Hagerman, Hansen, Horseshoe Bend, Plummer-Worley and West Side school districts, according to the state Department of Education.

Drug testing is on the agenda for next month’s parent advisory group meeting, President Sue Thilo said.

“It’s a tough call,” Thilo said. “Somewhere in the middle of all this, there’s going to be a good process.

“We must not be there yet.”