US high school wants drug testing for parking permits

High school students in Bixby, Oklahoma will soon face mandatory drug testing before they can get a permit to park on school property.

School officials say that using drugs and alcohol reduces students’ ability to drive safely as they park their cars and that requiring drug testing as part of the parking permit application will improve safety on school grounds.

Officials say that failing a drug test would not automatically result in disciplinary action, but that students could be disciplined if the failed drug test caused them to be in violation of other school district policies.

Both the students and their parents will have to sign a contract agreeing to the drug testing policy before the school district issued a parking permit. Students will have to pay for the cost of a baseline drug test when paying for their permit.

After obtaining a parking permit, students will be subject to random drug tests or be tested if school officials have a ‘reasonable suspicion’ that they are abusing drugs or alcohol.

The first instance of a failed drug test will result in a meeting with the student’s parent or legal guardian, a counselling session with the student, and a 30-day parking permit suspension. Students would be able to reduce the length of the suspension if they took part in extra counselling and drug education programmes.

Students parking on school property without completing a drug test and obtaining a parking permit will have their cars towed away.