ELYRIA, Ohio— Starting this fall, all student athletes at Elyria Catholic High School will be drug tested.
"We'll start with the fall athletes first and then go through each of the seasons," said Principal Amy Butler.
The program was test piloted last year on the soccer team, but will be fully implemented beginning Aug. 15 with the first round of urine testing.
Great Lakes Biomedical in Perrysburg will handle the samples.
All athletes will be tested once and then 20% of students will be randomly selected for additional screenings throughout the year.
The decision to test students was not based on any current problems, but rather a proactive preventative approach to keeping students healthy.
"We did it as a statement of how we're going to conduct ourselves," said Head Football Coach Michael Polevacik.
The testing will involve most of the student body.
Principal Amy Butler says 380 of the 450 students participate in at least one sport.
Some groups have come out against this type of testing in the past, including the ACLU.
However, in 1995 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that athletes can be tested for drugs without individualized suspicion.
The Court said that student athletes are used to being in locker rooms and showers together where there is not an expectation of privacy, and that urine samples are not an intrusive search.
The Court also said the school's efforts to stop illegal drug use justify urine testing for student athletes.
A policy requiring that all students participating in extracurricular activities get drug tested has also been ruled constitutional.
Regardless of the court's ruling, Principal Butler says they have heard no opposition to the program.
"It's been well received by student athletes and parents and the school community," said Butler. "And we think it's a way of encouraging our students to make good decisions about staying healthy."
Other Ohio School Districts have already tried drug testing students.
The Olentangy District in central Ohio started their program over ten years ago but recently decided to discontinue the program due, in part, to budget issues.
Currently, Boardman High School in Mahoning County is also exploring a similar program.
At Elyria Catholic, students say they like the program
"I thought it was great," said Joe Dempsey, a senior running back.
He says the testing will help unify the team and eliminate negative "partying" stereotypes seen in movies like Friday Night Lights.
"I mean, we want to set ourselves above the rest and focus on football and not anything else," said Dempsey.
Varsity cheerleader Rachel Pronesti added that the policy will empower them when they come to face to face with peer pressure.
"You could say, you know, I have a drug test next week, you know, whatever. I think it's gonna help us when we have to make big decisions," said Rachel Pronesti.
Students can "opt" out of the program, but they will have to go through a sort of intervention program with their parents.
The test results will be confidential and function on a three strike system.
The first time they fail a test, students will have to meet with chemical dependancy counselors.
The second time they fail a test, they will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
The third violation will result in being permanently denied participation in the athletic program at Elyria Catholic High School.
