Sweet Home School Board members approved the second reading of changes to the district’s drug testing policy that members had questioned the clarity of at their March meeting.
Specifically, the new policy clearly states that all student athletes at the high school will be entered into a lottery, from which names of students will be drawn for drug testing.
The former policy made drug testing mandatory for all students, and Board Member Dustin Nichol, Sweet Home’s head football coach from 2010 to 2021, expressed concerns about that, noting that his own son, a diabetic, had had issues with the drug testing when he was in school.
Dustin said at the April 13 meeting that he was satisfied with the wording changes.
He said the old system made it difficult for athletes, particularly in fall sports.
“You had 70, 75 football players, volleyball players, cross-country runners lined up before or right after the first practice to take a drug test,” he said, adding that the testing was done by administrators and was subject to “mishandling,” “interesting results and false positives.”
He said his son’s synthetic insulin “raised questions.”
“There were a lot of problems,” he said.
Eventually, he said, the district switched to a lottery system.
Board Member Rachel Maynard said she was concerned that “it’s not the same four kids” who get tested.
The policy requires that “the person drawing names has no way of knowingly choosing or failing to choose particular students for testing” and that those selecting will not know the identities of students selected. The selection process must be observed by at least two adults who are independent contractors.
The new policy discards percentage requirements for testing of student athlete populations and dictates that “random testing will be conducted periodically .. by a method determined by the district to assure the integrity, confidentiality and random nature of the selection process.”
Also, testing is now done by an outside laboratory rather than by district personnel.
Students who report recent drug use will not be subject to testing, the policy states, and students may voluntarily disclose use of prescription medication which might affect the outcome of the test. Students who refuse to provide a sample will be considered to have tested positive, the policy states.
In the event of a positive test, a student or parent may request the testing of a second sample, which the policy provides for.
The board also heard from Foster Principal Shelley Nurre, accompanied by four of her students, who reported on the school’s Fox Leadership Program, which is made up of 26 students who, Nurre said, play “a variety of important roles” at the school, as role models, mentors, student leaders and providing support for other students, as well as helping with assemblies and other school events.
Students apply to qualify for the program, which is based on similar programs she has established at other schools she has worked at and is “designed intentionally to create student leadership opportunities.” Fox Leaders meet “high expectations,” she said.
Nurre said she’s seen an increase in “student ownership” and students take leadership “very seriously” and that younger students look up to the Fox leaders.
The students, sixth-graders Blake Bellon, Maddison Martin and Paige Meiier, and fifth-grader Emerie Martin, told the board that they enjoyed being able to be examples to and help younger students and make a difference at the school.
In other action, the board:
- Approved wording changes to the district’s Board Officers Policy, putting in writing a decision made by the board last fall to eliminate the position of board secretary and replace it with a vice chair 2.position,
- Approved an out of state trip for the high school basketball team to Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., for a team camp June 27 through July 1.
- Approved the hiring of Amy Middlemiss as Student Success Coordinator at the High School, effective March 30. Middlemiss replaces longtime coordinator Kristin Adams, who recently resigned from the position.
- Accepted the resignation of Emily Wagner, math teacher at the High School, effective at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
- Accepted the retirement of Michelle Snyder, science teacher at the High School, effective July 1. In a letter to the district, Snyder said she would only retire contingent on being rehired back for the 2026-27 school year under a post retirement agreement
- Accepted the retirement of Heidi Thorstad, credit recovery teacher at the High School, effective July 1. Thorstad also said in a letter to the district that she would only retire contingent on being rehired back for the 2026-27 school year under a post retirement agreement
- Accepted the retirement of Jerika Spencer, third grade teacher at Hawthorne Elementary, effective at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
- Approved an out-of-state field trip April 19-22 for TRIO/Upward Bound students at the High School to Seattle, Wash., where they will tour colleges and explore career options.