District 203 needs to stop acting like paranoid parents.

During the district’s yearly review of the co-curricular code, the possibility of random drug testing for students involved in sports and extracurricular activities in Naperville schools is being considered.

According to a Naperville Sun article, the proposal is still in its earliest stages, but as a student athlete and participant in extracurricular activities, it makes me angry to think that random drug testing could actually be implemented at Naperville Central.

Firstly, it is not the school’s job to drug test us. The co-curricular code in itself is enough to deter students in athletics and other extracurricular activities from using drugs. Don’t think that I’m naïve to the fact that some of these students still use illegal substances despite the co-curricular code though. I just think that if random drug screening were to be implemented, the students already using drugs would keep using them. After all, teenagers are known for thinking, “It won’t happen to me!”

Also, how is catching a student with drugs in their system beneficial to them? Sure, the school can direct them to a counselor to fix the problem, but only after they suspend the kid from playing sports and/or participating in extracurricular activities. It would just cause the student humiliation and misery.

Instead, it is the job of a parent to keep tabs on their child and notice when something seems off. That way, an issue regarding substance abuse can be kept inside the household where no school and/or police involvement is necessary. I’m sure any parent would be more than happy to punish their child for using drugs. I know mine would. Teenagers make stupid decisions sometimes, but it shouldn’t have to ruin their lives.

In a Chicago Tribune article, district 203 school board president Mike Jaensch referred to the drug testing as “a tool for the parent first and foremost with our support.”

The way I see it is that any parent who wants to see their kid get caught by the school for using drugs probably sucks. This isn’t a tool for parents; it’s a tool for the district to make themselves look better by cracking down on drug abuse.

“We’ve seen no uptick in participation with illegal drugs,” said Bob Ross, the district’s assistant superintendent for secondary education, in a Naperville Sun article. “But we’re concerned about any student athlete or student who participates in drug use … even one case is too much.”

First of all, if there has been no uptick in participation with illegal drugs, then why is this even an issue? It’s an unneccessary waste of money. Secondly, I hate to break it to them, but the district will never be able to totally eradicate illegal substance abuse in the Naperville schools. Therefore, the goal of the random drug screening, if implemented, would be unachievable.

In the 2002 Supreme Court case Pottawatomie County v. Earls, it was ruled that random drug tests for all middle and high school students participating in competitive extracurricular activities is allowed. Previously, drug testing had only been allowed for student athletes. Why is drug testing only okay for students who participate in sports and clubs? Wouldn’t the students who don’t partake in after-school activities be more likely to use drugs? They aren’t the ones under the co-curricular code, so I think so. It’s not fair that only students in athletics and extracurricular activities are being targeted.

Also, I feel as though just because something is legal in the eyes of the law, doesn’t make it right. Despite what the law says, randomly drug testing students involved in sports and extracurricular activities infringes on privacy rights in my eyes. I don’t do drugs and would have nothing to be afraid of, but I still don’t agree with this method of trying to stop drug abuse. Can’t the district start an anti-illegal substance abuse campaign instead of drug testing us like criminals? I believe that students would appreciate that much more than being forced to pee in a cup.

The district is too busy noticing the minority of student athletes and participants in extracurricular activities who do use illegal substances and worrying about how to save their precious reputation. As a result, they are unable to see all of the students who don’t use drugs. Implementing random drug testing turns us all into suspects and I can’t agree with something that perceives me and my fellow student athletes and extracurricular participants in that way.