CRETE, Neb. (KMTV) — A new policy in Crete, Neb. raised questions Monday at the Crete Public Schools Board of Education meeting.
The drug testing is for students who participate in school-sponsored competitive extracurricular activities in the Crete District. It is also for any high schooler who wants to park in the school's lot.
The school board said the policy passed at their meeting in July. The board said it comes after an increase in what they called "instances" both on and off school property.
Monday night, the community questioned the board on what exactly led to the policy, the transparency behind the approval and the concerns for safety of student information.
"Once these kids do get tested, where is that data going to? I know it is a third party, who is doing the testing, what information are they going to have on my kid, that's my biggest concern," said a Crete Public Schools parent.
"We believe that this is in the best interest of our students at this time, to provide them a safe positive learning environment, that's why it was adopted, again you may disagree with that," said Justin Kuntz, board president of the board of education for Crete Public Schools.
The policy uses a third party for testing, referred to as 'SPORT SAFE TESTING SERVICE, INC.'
The urine sample testing will take place twice a month and is a requirement to participate in extracurricular activities. Both the parent and student need to sign it.
The board pointed the community to the FAQ page on the district website for answers to their questions. But did acknowledge that some of the questions asked had not been addressed.
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