BEATRICE – Any decision on whether to retain, alter or end a random drug testing policy for Beatrice Public School Students in activities or sports, will have to wait.


The Beatrice School Board Monday night tabled discussion or action on the policy, until all board members can be present to talk it over. Only four of the seven school board members attended Monday night’s meeting.  The board did hear from the company that does the random testing for the district…..during the public forum section of the board’s meeting.


Diversified Drug Testing handles the random testing for the district. General Manager, former Nebraska State Patrol Colonel Tom Nesbitt, defended the program as beneficial.


"It's been very positive feedback from all the schools that I have visited and been at, and have done testing at. It's a deterrent, for sure, in helping those students who are in special activities...whether it be a music situation, speech, athletics, whatever that case may be. They sign a contract with their parents that they are going to be drug tested. The drug testing process is a random testing."


Nesbitt says his company, which is owned by Beatrice pharmacists Rick and Nate Clabaugh….does testing for about twenty schools in Nebraska…….generally at the high school level….but in some cases at both middle and high schools.  "They test for the main drugs...methamphetamine, amphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, barbiturates. And, the other thing that all of our schools, except Beatrice schools...they also test for nicotine and alcohol."


Districts submit random student names from a list provided to a database in Indiana. About eight to ten students are randomly tested each month in the Beatrice Public Schools. Some districts test twice a month.


"Vaping is becoming a huge thing. Unfortunately, it's becoming a huge thing in schools.....high school and middle school. We're dealing with that on a regular basis with the usage of nicotine."


Over the past several weeks, the Beatrice School Board has discussed the current random drug testing program at the high school, raising some questions about whether the program accomplishes what it should. School Board member Charles Riedesul says he’s done some evidence-based independent research on drug-testing programs, and questions whether they achieve the desired outcome.


"Multiple studies are showing that the randomized drug testing is not as effective ....in fact, is only marginally effective during the time that the testing is going on....while the students are involved in activities and subject to them. But, following the end of participating in those activities, the positive effect disappears. It does not seem to have much of any effect on those students who have not been involved in those activities...who are not part of that program."


Nesbitt said he can cite studies which indicate random drug testing is worthwhile. Riedesul said he’d like to see the board consider all information on both sides of the issue, prior to making a decision on the local district policy.


"We're only looking at those involved in activities....and I think of all of those who are not involved in activities...we're interested in them, too. We want to take care of all of them. Now, it doesn't make much sense to test those who are not involved because what's the penalty, if they're caught? They can't be thrown out of a sport, because they're not involved in sports, in the first place."


Beatrice Public Schools spends about $5,000 each year on the random drug testing program. Board members in attendance at Monday night’s meeting included Doris Martin, Charles Riedesul, Janet Byars and Brandon Vetrovsky.


The only action-item on the agenda was the board’s approval of the Beatrice Educational Association as the bargaining organization for teacher contracts, for the next two school years.