Following much discussion and research of other school policies, the Barnesville Exempted Village School District Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt a policy establishing drug and alcohol testing for student athletes at a special Aug. 5 school board meeting.
Barnesville now joins Cambridge City Schools who began testing last year and Martins Ferry who instituted their policy this week. All three are using the same company. Barnesville, like Cambridge, will use the nine-panel test.
Superintendent Randy Lucas said it is unknown when testing of athletes will begin, but a training was held on Tuesday, Aug. 10 for school administrators including Athletic Director Mark Cook. A representative of the testing company Alere and Cambridge City Schools Athletic Director Dave Gray will help train Barnesville administrators on testing procedures.
Lucas said coaches will not be involved in the testing process.
The testing will be anonymous, with athletes being given a number. If a test comes back positive, Lucas will receive the results. He will then contact Athletic Director Mark Cook, who will look up the number and inform the parents of the student.
Lucas said there will be no cost to athletes, however, if an athlete tests positive for drug use, they will be required to pay $20 for a second test.
Lucas said the test will screen for several drugs including alcohol, anabolic steroids, amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids, cocaine metabolite, LSD, methadone, nicotine, opiates, phencyclidine and propoxyphene.
In a related matter, Lucas shared a letter from the Belmont County Health Department regarding a "tobacco-free" campus. The letter encourages all schools to "examine their current policy" and make their campuses "100 percent tobacco free."
Lucas said the district already has a policy in place regarding tobacco use on school-owned property. The policy prohibits tobacco use in all district-owned, leased for contracted buildings and vehicles, however the board my designate legally compliant outdoor smoking areas.
Currently, smoking is prohibited in the stands at the football stadium, but not on the stadium grounds.
Lucas said the district's concern is the enforcement of any policy.
"If we change the policy, we want to be able to enforce it," Lucas said.
He gave board members a copy of the health department's letter and the district's policy, so that they could make address the issue later if they want.
The board approved a change at the elementary school for parents dropping off their children.
Lucas said after checking with Barnesville Police Chief David Norris, parking in the three, non-handicapped parking spots on Broadway Street in front of the administrative offices at the elementary school will be prohibited from 7:30 to 8:15 a.m. That area will be a designated "drop off zone."
Lucas said the area is congested during that time and the change is an attempt to alleviate the problem. He said the change will also prevent children from having to cross the street during that time.
Also at the special meeting, the board approved a new policy establishing a cashless cafeteria system.
Beginning with the 2010-11 school year, the cafeteria will operate a cashless system for student lunches and kindergarten milk break. Students will no longer be able to give money to the cafeteria staff when they go through the lunch line. Parents wishing to put money on their child's account must report to the Central Office, fill out a deposit slip and put money and slip in a locked box. The deposit money will be credited to the child's lunch account on that day, Parents may also mail a check to the Central Office or send money with their child for deposit.
Students attending Barnesville Elementary and Barnesville Middle schools will be allowed to charge up to $10 (lunch and milk break for kindergarten students) and students attending Barnesville High School will be allowed to charge up to $11.25 Once a student exceeds this amount in charges, the students will be offered a peanut butter and jelly or cheese sandwich and milk. Cafeteria staff will attempt to keep parents informed as their child's lunch account approaches a zero balance. Parents will have the ability to check their child's account balance online.
The board hired Hallie Stein as the high school Spanish teacher. Rachael Bowers was approved as the sophomore class co-advisor.
The board approved the following substitutes:
Aides -- Amanda Brown, Carolyn Bunting, Jennifer Castello, Rick Gibson, Donna Skinner, Lora Wildes, Carolyn Bunting, Emily Doty, Rebecca Minott and Julia Temple; bus drivers -- Jim Brown, Gary Hall, Robert Rockwell, Clifford Butler, Tony Johnson, Shaun Leach and Phyllis Rinehart; cooks -- Amanda Arigoni, Carolyn Bunting, Jennifer Castello, Rick Gibson, Shawn Leach, Julia Temple, Amanda Brown, Melissa Carpenter, Martha Deitrick, Brandi Lake, Rebecca Minott and Lora Wildes; custodians -- Shelton Bailey, Carolyn Bunting Rick Gibson, Michael Merritt, Marvin Butler, Martha Deitrick and John Henderson; nurses -- Dona Fortunato, Jodi Gallagher, Jody Gibbons, Heidi Gray, Teresa Groves, Brandi Lake and Connie Starr; secretaries -- Amanda Arigoni, Amanda Brown, Carolyn Bunting, Emily Doty, Rick Gibson, Brandi Lake, Shawn Leach, Rebecca Minott, Donna Skinner, Connie Starr, Julia Temple, Glena Wagner and Lora Wildes; teachers -- Bryce Allen, Nicole Anderson, James Barton, Jackie Bell, Bob Blaney, Tom Brill, Alison Burga, Jessica Byers, Scott Campbell, Jeffrey Carpenter, John Crum, Darrell Davis, Rebekah Detling, Mary Devine, John Doherty, Trish Doherty, Michael Ebbert, Raymond Ebert, Barbara Faldowksi, Julie Feldner, Alesa Fisher, Lacy Gallagher, Jodie Gilcher, Amanda Hannahs, Sheyanne Hawkins, John Henderson, Lorraine Holliday, Janet Hughes, Jenny Hunkler-Ebert, Anna Jefferis, Sonya Lucas, Joe Mazzie, Dennis McCrate, Sally McDonnel, Tom McGough, Meredith Meholovitch, Charles Merritt, Marie Myles, Mark Nicholes, Pamela Puskas, Kayla Ralson, Jeffrey Rich, Pamela Robinson, Susan Saintenoy, Jean Samuels, Leslie Skinner, Kathleen Sonk, Jeanne Strawn, Peggy Taylor, Rebecca Thomas, Julie Thompson, Kenneth Triplett, Amanda Weese, Jennifer Wells, Robyn Guiler, Emily Miller, Michael Musilli and Nicholaus Tracy.
Aides -- Amanda Brown, Carolyn Bunting, Jennifer Castello, Rick Gibson, Donna Skinner, Lora Wildes, Carolyn Bunting, Emily Doty, Rebecca Minott and Julia Temple; bus drivers -- Jim Brown, Gary Hall, Robert Rockwell, Clifford Butler, Tony Johnson, Shaun Leach and Phyllis Rinehart; cooks -- Amanda Arigoni, Carolyn Bunting, Jennifer Castello, Rick Gibson, Shawn Leach, Julia Temple, Amanda Brown, Melissa Carpenter, Martha Deitrick, Brandi Lake, Rebecca Minott and Lora Wildes; custodians -- Shelton Bailey, Carolyn Bunting Rick Gibson, Michael Merritt, Marvin Butler, Martha Deitrick and John Henderson; nurses -- Dona Fortunato, Jodi Gallagher, Jody Gibbons, Heidi Gray, Teresa Groves, Brandi Lake and Connie Starr; secretaries -- Amanda Arigoni, Amanda Brown, Carolyn Bunting, Emily Doty, Rick Gibson, Brandi Lake, Shawn Leach, Rebecca Minott, Donna Skinner, Connie Starr, Julia Temple, Glena Wagner and Lora Wildes; teachers -- Bryce Allen, Nicole Anderson, James Barton, Jackie Bell, Bob Blaney, Tom Brill, Alison Burga, Jessica Byers, Scott Campbell, Jeffrey Carpenter, John Crum, Darrell Davis, Rebekah Detling, Mary Devine, John Doherty, Trish Doherty, Michael Ebbert, Raymond Ebert, Barbara Faldowksi, Julie Feldner, Alesa Fisher, Lacy Gallagher, Jodie Gilcher, Amanda Hannahs, Sheyanne Hawkins, John Henderson, Lorraine Holliday, Janet Hughes, Jenny Hunkler-Ebert, Anna Jefferis, Sonya Lucas, Joe Mazzie, Dennis McCrate, Sally McDonnel, Tom McGough, Meredith Meholovitch, Charles Merritt, Marie Myles, Mark Nicholes, Pamela Puskas, Kayla Ralson, Jeffrey Rich, Pamela Robinson, Susan Saintenoy, Jean Samuels, Leslie Skinner, Kathleen Sonk, Jeanne Strawn, Peggy Taylor, Rebecca Thomas, Julie Thompson, Kenneth Triplett, Amanda Weese, Jennifer Wells, Robyn Guiler, Emily Miller, Michael Musilli and Nicholaus Tracy.
The board approved Joseph Jancura as assistant instrumental music director.
The following volunteers were approved: Danette Jackson and Kayla Ralston as volunteer assistant volleyball coaches and Nikki McEndree and Julie Plumly as volunteer assistant girl's basketball coaches.
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