Our Lady of Providence High School believes that our mission is to help our students to stay away from the influences of illegal drugs. At the center of our drug policy is a desire to promote health and safety in our student body and to provide our students with another reason to say “no” to using drugs.

We understand that developmental issues may impede adolescents from making sound decisions at times. Given this reality in the lives of our students, we have employed a two-part policy concerning the use of drugs by our students. The first set of policies is designed to foster a community of drug-free learners by testing for their use. The second set of policies is designed to intervene in the life of a student who either chooses to experiment with drugs or who may desire to use them for other reasons, including addiction.

These policies apply to every Providence student, from the first day of freshman orientation until the student’s last school-affiliated event is completed as a senior. The policy applies at all times and in all places. There are no times, no days, no places, and no circumstances in which this policy does not apply.

Drug Testing to Help Ensure a Healthy Community

1. All students will be tested for drugs at least two times per year. These will be done on a random basis at varied times throughout the year. A random sampling of approximately 20 percent of our students could also be tested a third time beyond the two mandatory tests that are required of all students.
2. Students known to be selling any type of illegal drug on or off campus, buying, receiving, possessing, using, or under the influence of any type of illegal drug at school, a school-related activity or on the way to or from school or a school-related activity fall under the school’s Drugs and Alcohol Policies and are subject to additional testing and the published disciplinary consequences.
3. Providence will use a small (approximately 50 grams) hair sample to determine the use of drugs. Trained personnel will collect a small sample of head hair. However, if a sample of head hair cannot be obtained, body hair from the arm or leg will be used as long as there is an appropriate sample amount. It is the responsibility of the student and parents to ensure that a hair sample of approximately 50 grams can be taken from the student’s head, arm, or leg at all times. If a medical condition does not allow for an appropriate hair sample, an alternative testing method will be used. If it is determined that a student has shaven his/her body hair in an attempt to avoid being drug tested, the school would consider this action to equate to a positive test.

Intervention and Treatment for a Positive Test

Because of Providence’s desire to be a drug-free school, we commit ourselves to helping students who test positive for drugs. Positive results from the drug testing program will not lead to automatic disciplinary consequences. It is our most sincere desire that students who test positive will, upon getting the help necessary, return to good health and promote the values of our Catholic school.

Administration and counselors will be the only school personnel notified of test results. School personnel will make every effort to keep test results confidential and will notify the parents and student of a positive test as soon as possible.

1. A first positive test: If a student tests positive for drugs, administration will inform the student in person. As soon as possible, the parents will be notified. No one outside of school administration and counseling will be informed of the positive test results. A meeting will take place between school administration and/or counseling, the student, and his/her parents. At this meeting the test results will be explained and resources and counseling programs will be provided. The re-testing procedure will also be explained (every 100 days at the student’s expense) as well as the consequences of a second positive test. The re-testing procedure requires that every 100 days (for as long as the student is a student at Providence) the school will take another hair sample of approximately 50 grams from the student to determine student use of drugs. Parents will be required to pay the cost of the additional hair samples out of the regular testing window. Because the primary focus of this policy is a health and wellness program, there will be no disciplinary consequences at this time.

2. A second positive test: Again, the student and parents will be notified of the positive test and a meeting will take place where the test results are explained. The school will make a referral to a Providence approved drug and alcohol counseling program. The student is required to complete the counseling program successfully and will provide appropriate verification of such when requested by the school. Any expenses incurred from the treatment program will be the responsibility of the student/parents. The retesting procedures continue.
3. A third positive test: The school will assume that despite the support given to the student and family, the student is in violation of the policy and unable or unwilling to stay drug-free. At this time the student will likely be expelled from Our Lady of Providence.

Note: If the second positive test occurs with less than 100 days before the student’s expected graduation, the student’s diploma will be held until the100-day period of time has passed, and the student will be retested at his/her own expense. If the test results are positive, the student will likely be expelled and the diploma will not be conferred.

Prescription Drugs

If a student tests positive for a prescription drug, his/her parents will be asked to provide school administration with the original prescription. If a parent no longer has the prescription, a signed note from the doctor verifying the prescription and dosage will be sufficient. Any student who misuses or abuses prescription medication will be in violation of this policy.

Additional Testing

In addition to the regularly administered drug testing outlined above, Our Lady of Providence High School reserves the right to require drug testing, at the family’s expense, in situations the school deems appropriate. This includes but is not limited to the following:

• Suspension from school
• Truancy or habitual tardiness
• Exhibition of behavioral patterns associated with substance use/abuse
• Upon administrative discretion

Note: Anyone seeking additional information about testing procedures should contact the Director of Students.