School district considers random drug tests for student athletes
By TJ Dysart
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WAUKESHA, Wisconsin (WISN) — The Waukesha School District is considering a proposal to randomly drug test student athletes, following concerns raised by the board clerk about marijuana’s impact on students’ mental health.
The proposal, discussed at a committee meeting on Tuesday night, aims to identify students using cannabis and provide them with necessary help.
“I am not interested in punishing students who use, I am interested in identifying them.” Board Clerk David Wadd said.
He emphasized the importance of addressing cannabis use among adolescents.
“As cannabis use is legalized and the message continues to be ‘Well, this is harmless,’ the fact of the matter is, at least for adolescents, it is definitely not harmless,” Wadd said.
Marijuana usage is not legal in Wisconsin. Under the Waukesha School District’s proposal, student athletes who test positive for marijuana could be benched. However, some board members are advocating for a policy that extends beyond random testing.
Board Member Karrie Kozlowski expressed concerns about enforcement, saying, “Candidly, we have coaches today who know that their players are using it and don’t darn thing about it.” Kozlowski suggested that students should sign a consent form agreeing to the drug tests voluntarily.
Kozlowski also raised questions about the logistics of the proposal.
“Where are these random drug tests done? Do we require parental authorization to drug test children?” Kozlowski said.
Other school districts, including Arrowhead, Mukwonago, and Pewaukee, have already implemented similar random drug testing policies. Oak Creek’s policy applies to both student athletes and students who park on school grounds.
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