Consent Form

To try out for or to participate in any school-sponsored IHSA interscholastic competition, the student must read this policy and sign a consent on the Release Form by which the student agrees that as a condition of participation in school interscholastic competition, he/she will be eligible for the drug testing program outlined in this procedure.  This consent form must also be signed by the student’s parents or guardians in advance of the tryouts if applicable.  If the student, his/her parents, or guardians refuse to sign the release form, the student will not be permitted to be a member of a team or participate in the competition.  The consent form will be valid for a calendar year, including the following summer and must be renewed annually.

Confidentiality

The results of any test administered under the terms of this procedure shall be kept confidential and disclosed only to the student, his/her parents or guardians, and school officials designated by the superintendent.  The results of the testing shall not be used as a basis for any disciplinary action other than disqualification from team or competition involvement as provided for in this policy and procedure.  The test results will not be part of the student’s permanent record but will be kept in a secure file in the district offices.

Testing Procedures

1. The Building Principal or designee shall, up to five times throughout the school year, randomly select extracurricular participants for drug and nicotine testing.  Testing may occur on any day, Monday through Saturday. Each student participant may be tested at any time during the year. Students may be randomly selected more than once a year.

2. A licensed medical facility selected by the superintendent will oversee the testing.

3. Only the superintendent, designated administrators, and the designated testing facility will be aware of the testing date prior to the actual morning of the testing.

4. The designated facility will randomly select 10 students registered in an extracurricular activity for testing at each session. Names will be drawn from a pool of all student participants.  

5. Drug and/or nicotine testing will be performed by urinalysis. Upon being selected for a urinalysis test, the student shall provide a sample of “fresh” urine according to the quality control standards and policy of the laboratory conducting the urinalysis.

6. The students selected will be escorted by a school employee to the designated testing room.  

7. A staff member will accompany the student until he or she produces an adequate urine specimen.  The student must produce a urine specimen of the amount the testing agency requires. If unable to produce a specimen within two hours, the student will be taken to the Building Principal’s office and told he or she is ineligible for participation in any extracurricular activity. In addition, the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) will be telephoned and informed the student is unable to produce a sample for the testing procedure and he or she must be tested at a later date in order to be eligible.

8. If a specimen is determined to be is invalid per the designated testing agency, the student must provide another specimen.

9. A student will be ineligible for all extracurricular activities for the remainder of the school year if he or she tampers with or cheats during the collection. This will be reported to the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s).

10. Any student who is in attendance on the day of testing and does not report for testing or refuses testing will be judged as testing positive for a prohibited substance.

11. Immediately after the specimen is taken, the student may return to class with an admit slip or pass with the time he or she left the collection site.

12. Each specimen is given to the laboratory for testing for controlled substances (that may include all drugs listed as controlled substances under Illinois law), and “performance enhancing” drugs, such as steroids.

Chain of Custody

1. The designated licensed medical facility selected by the superintendent shall take every reasonable precaution to collect an unadulterated urine specimen from the student during the collection process and will provide an accurate chain of custody for each and every specimen.

Test Results

1. The parents or guardians of a student who tests negative will be notified within ten (10) school days of the District’s receipt of the information.

2. The Building Principal or designee will be notified of a student testing “positive.”  The Building Principal or designee will notify the student and his or her parent(s)/guardian(s) of the test results and immediate suspension in the program.  The student or his or her parent(s)/guardian(s) may submit any documented prescription or explanation of a “positive” test result.

3. In addition, the student or parent(s)/guardian(s) may request the urine specimen be tested again by a certified laboratory at their cost within 24 hours of the notification. This may require a new urine specimen.

4. If the test results are “positive,” the student must schedule an assessment interview with a qualified chemical dependency counselor within two (2) business days at the student’s expense or through a school approved agency that provides free assessments.
   The chemical dependency counselor will secure the necessary release of information and make recommendations to the parents or guardians and the District student assistance program counselor regarding the student’s chemical dependency assessment and treatment recommendations. The student assistance program counselor will notify the athletic director as soon as possible regarding the status of the student.
   If, at the end of the suspension, the student has still not completed an assessment interview, the suspension will continue until an assessment has been completed.

5. Information on a verified “positive” test result will be shared on a need-to-know basis with the student’s coach or sponsor.  The results of “negative” tests will be kept confidential.

6. Drug testing result sheets will be returned to the Building Principal or designee identifying students by number and not by name.  Names will not be kept in open files or on any computer. Any student identifiable information will be kept in the District Office’s Human Resource Department.

Financial Responsibility

1. Under this policy, the District will pay for all initial random drug tests. 

2. A request for another test of a “positive” urine specimen is the financial responsibility of the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s).

3. Counseling and subsequent treatment by non-school agencies is the financial responsibility of the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s).

Confidentiality

Under this drug and nicotine testing program, no staff, coach, or sponsor shall divulge any information to anyone about a particular student or disposition of the student involved, other than in response to a legal subpoena.

Any student identifiable information will be kept in the District Office’s Human Resource Department

Self-Reporting

An important part of this program is to allow students to self-report if they have used or are using any drug.  The student who self-reports prior to being notified of testing will not be suspended from competition; however, the student will submit a urine specimen at future drug testing sessions for one calendar year.  The drug screen must be negative each time.  The student who self-reports must submit to drug assessments by an outside agency.  Failure to submit to drug testing, assessment, or participation in the recommended program after self-reporting will cause the student to be guilty of a high school code of conduct violation and subject to consequences as stated in the High School Code of Conduct.  A student may self-report one time without consequences of suspension during his/her high school career.

Other Rules

Apart from this drug and nicotine testing program, the Ill. High School Association as well as each activity’s coaching staff or sponsor may have their own training rules and requirements.  Coaches and sponsors have the necessary authority to enforce those rules.  Any student-participant who violates a team or activity rule or requirement is subject to the consequences as defined in those rules and requirements.

Nothing contained in this policy shall prohibit or limit the application of the District’s regular student disciplinary rules and regulations to students.  The provisions of this policy are considered an addition to all other rules and regulations governing student conduct and discipline.

The parents or guardians of a student charged with a violation of the rules of this policy and procedure shall be given an opportunity for a hearing as outlined in the High School Code of Conduct.