NJ School District Considers Drug Testing High School Students Participating in Extracurricular Activities

Why, because they must be high to want to stay after school?

This story came up on the local cable news here today—the school district in Demarest, New Jersey is considering a program to administer random drug test on its high school students. But not just any students, the ones who participate in after school activities. Specifically, according to News 12, they want to test students who get parking passes (because of after school programming) and "anyone who volunteers." School officials stress a positive test result wouldn't be placed on the student's permanent record (sparing some of the stigma caused by things like drug courts or even prosecution), though parents would be notified and students could face suspension from their after school activities.

In my schooling days, after school programs were meant to keep kids off the streets and out of trouble. Throwing them out of those programs for possible drug use seems counterproductive. Given how cheap at-home drug testing has become for parents, the entire exercise seems unnecessary.