District 128 officials investigating whether to test students for drug use

Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 officials plan to investigate whether athletes and students involved in other extracurricular activities should be forced to take drug tests.

A group of parents, students, administrators and staffers representing Libertyville High and Vernon Hills High likely will start meeting in January to discuss the often-controversial issue, Associate Superintendent Prentiss Lea said.

They'll examine current drug-testing technology, data from schools that test students for drug use, the philosophical pros and cons of drug testing and how the law has changed since district leaders last talked about drug tests, Lea said.

No specific incident at either school prompted the pending discussions, and administrators do not have a preconceived plan to begin drug tests, Lea said.

"It's just time again to come back and take a look at it," he said.

Illinois public schools cannot legally make every student submit to a drug test, only students involved in clubs, sports and other activities.

Private schools do not share the same legal restrictions and can test an entire student population for drug use, but such programs are unusual. Locally, St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights started testing all of its students for drug use this fall.

Antioch High and Lakes Community High in Lake Villa -- two schools in the same district -- are among the few suburban public-schools where athletes and other select students are tested for drug use.

District 128 officials have discussed the issue before but have never launched a drug-testing program.