During the recently completed 2022-23 academic year, less than 5 percent of Boerne ISD students who were checked for drug use tested positive.
During a short presentation at the June board of trustees meeting, BISD Safety and Security Director Hector Hernandez provided a report that showed leadership an opportunity to see the effectiveness of the drug-testing program over the past year.
“I think we’re right on target,” Hernandez said.
Overall, 760 students at the two high schools and three middle schools were administered drug tests, which computes to 17.1 percent of the student body at those campuses. Of those tests, 37 came back positive.
“I think that’s excellent,” Hernandez said.
Drug testing was established in Boerne ISD several years ago to deter drug use among students wishing to park on campus and/or involved in extracurricular activities, information in Hernandez’s report stated.
According to policy, the district requires random drug and alcohol testing of any student in grades 7 through 12 who chooses to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities or parks a vehicle at a school campus.
“The number of students tested at each campus is relative to the percent of students within the total student population to be tested,” Hernandez’s report stated.
Campuses provide a list of dates that would not be conducive to drug testing, and the drug testing company schedules visits on dates other than those provided by campuses. Prior notification is not given to the campuses.
The district’s target testing number was 18 percent.
The results showed 395 drug tests were given to Champion High School students during the academic year, and 18 were positive. At Boerne High School, 193 tests were given and 16 came back positive.
The other three positive results were at Boerne Middle School North, where 127 tests were given. South and Voss middle schools had no positive results, and 87 and 53 tests were given, respectively.
“The key isn’t catching (the students), but getting them the help they need,” BISD Superintendent Tom Price said.
According to policy, the district requires random drug and alcohol testing of any student in grades 7 through 12 who chooses to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities or parks a vehicle at a school campus.
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