Dade County, FL Eases Student Drug Testing Rules

DRUG TESTING February 1998

The Dade County (Miami) school district, under threat of challenge by the Florida ACLU, has revised its proposed drug testing program of high school students to allow student to refuse random checks. The plan remains one of the most extensive drug testing programs in the nation. Tests are scheduled to begin in March for students whose parents have signed consent forms. If a student refuses after his parents have consented, the parent would be notified (Kim Cobb, "Drug testing policy in Miami's schools is broad in scope but purely voluntary," Houston Chronicle, February 15, p. 1A; Associated Press, "Miami Eases Its Rules For Student Drug Tests," New York Times, January 16, 1998, p. A12; "Miami Schools Relax Drug-Testing Proposal," Washington Post, January 16, 1998, p. A2).

Date County School District - Mr. William Booth, Director of Operations and Records, Dade County Schools, 1500 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 141, Miami, FL 33132, Tel: (305) 757-0514, Fax: (305) 995-7215.