Drug testing worth the cost?

Testing high school students for drugs may be a costly program, but private and public school administrators don’t see how their school system can afford not to keep students drug free.

The true cost

The Santa Rosa County School System enacted a random drug-testing policy for high school athletes about 10 years ago. Buddy Hinote, Santa Rosa School District high school director, said the school system discontinued the program in the 2008 school year to save money, but quickly realized it was a mistake.

During the first years of the program the school system was paying an outside firm to come into the high schools and collect urine samples from randomly chosen athletes each week. Hinote said two students are chosen at the larger schools and only one student at smaller schools.

The testing cost $30 per person. With six high schools, Santa Rosa County Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick said the price added up for the school system. The policy was reinstated in 2010 using a more cost efficient program.

For more on this story, see the September 1 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.