Legislation is currently being developed which, if passed, could have big impacts on Wisconsin schools and their students. The proposal regards drug testing at school.
It is expected that the proposal, which is currently being drafted by a lawmaker from Oconomowoc and is planned to be introduced to the state’s legislature next year, would require Wisconsin high schools, public and private, to have random drug testing in regards to certain students. The plan is that the students in question would include those who participate in extracurricular activities and also those who wish to park on school grounds.
There are currently only a handful of school districts in state that have drug testing policies similar to this. So, this proposal, if it ultimately were passed, would likely greatly expand this type of random drug testing in Wisconsin schools.
Among the aims of the proposal is to help battle heroin use in the state.
A range of questions come up in relation to this proposal, including:
- How much in costs would the random testing expose schools to?
- What impacts would such testing have on students?
- Is this something the state should be mandating, or should the decision of whether or not to have this kind of testing be left to school districts?
- What consequences would testing positive in such testing have on students? Reportedly, the proposal itself is not expected to lay out such consequences.
One wonders what the specific terms of the proposal will be when it is formally introduced to the state legislature, what any debate around this proposal will be focused on and what will ultimately happen with the proposal in the legislature.
As this underscores, a lot of complex issues can come up when it comes to matters involving students, schools and drugs. Being accused of having possessed, used or been under the influence of illegal drugs at school can have major impacts on a student. For one, it could subject them to disciplinary measures from their school. It also could also expose them to criminal proceedings. So, quite a bit can be at stake for a student when such accusations come up. Given this, when their child is facing such allegations, a parent may want to promptly bring in a skilled defense attorney to defend their child’s rights and try to help minimize the negative consequences the situation ends up having on their child’s life and future.