BUCKINGHAM — School board members in Buckingham could adopt a policy instituting random drug testing for student athletes at their July 8 meeting.

The new policy states that testing would be performed on a sample population equating to 10 percent of the total student athletes, per school, per sports season. “A student-athlete becomes eligible for drug testing upon being listed on the Middle School Team Roster List for middle school students and the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Master Eligibility List for high school students,” states the proposed policy.

According to Division Superintendent Dr. Cecil Snead, the division currently does not have a policy on student-athlete drug testing. “The board requests that we seriously consider an additional new policy, such as what some other districts have in place, for the safety of our students,” he told The Herald before the Wednesday, June 24 meeting began.

During their July meeting, a list of frequently asked questions regarding the policy will be presented.

According to the proposed policy, if a student-athlete refuses to be tested or attempts to tamper with or assists others in tampering with the sample, the athlete will be dropped from the team, absent extenuating circumstances.

The substances to be commonly tested for are alcohol, tobacco, controlled substances, imitation controlled substances, illegal drugs and athletic performance enhancement and anabolic steroids.

According to the policy, a random selection with replacement would be used for the testing process. “A Third Party Administrator (TPA) will be contracted to conduct all testing and will be responsible for the random selection with replacement and testing process … Testing will be performed on a sample population equating to 10 percent of the total population of student athletes, per school, per sports season (fall, winter, spring). The number of testing sessions may vary,” states the proposed policy.

In the event the final report has identified any failures to provide a sample, or verified positive test results, the TPA will contact the superintendent or his designee, who will notify the principal, states the policy. “The principal will contact the parent/guardian and a conference will be scheduled to present the test results to the parent/guardian.”
For positive results for the use of anabolic steroids, the policy states, an athlete will also be ineligible to compete in school events for two years, per school board policy. “A failure to provide a sample will be considered a positive test result unless there are extenuating medical circumstances that physically prevent a student from providing a sample,” states the policy.

The document states that the policy is not designed to be academically punitive, but to ensure the student’s health while participating in athletics.

Drug testing would be performed by collecting a urine sample at each school.

“If a student has not provided a reliable sample by the end of the school day, then the student will be ineligible to participate in the remaining portion of that sports season absent extenuating circumstances,” states the policy.
In the event of a positive test result, a medical review officer will make direct contact with the parent or guardian to resolve any extenuating circumstances medical or other, that may have contributed to an inability to provide a sample, or a positive test result, cites the document.
“Buckingham County Schools will not be involved in resolving positive testing results … After all testing and test results have been verified, the final report will be provided by the TPA to the superintendent. …”

According to Snead, currently, if a student is found to have used an illegal substance, there are two ways to handle the situation. The student could be recommended for expulsion, or the student could enter the scope program, which is “a combination of agreeance for counseling and drug testing. And they … get to return to school sooner, which is after 30 days’ suspension,” said Snead.