CHESTERTON | Chesterton High School students wanting to participate in designated "privileged activities" will be subject to random drug testing starting next school year. The policy will apply at Chesterton Middle School the following year.

The Duneland School Corp. board Monday unanimously approved adding random testing for students who participate in athletics, co-curricular activities like band or debate and extracurricular activities like clubs. The policy also will apply to students who drive to school.

Those students will be required to grant the school permission to include them in random testing. Students who refuse permission will not be subject to testing but may not take part in the activities. Parents also may select their children for the program.

The new policy will be implemented in addition to the districtwide policy of testing in cases of reasonable suspicion, applicable to any student.

The board action came on recommendation of the Positive Life advisory group and with the endorsement of Superintendent Dirk Baer and Chesterton High Principal James Goetz.

Goetz said the policy will give students "another reason to say no" to drug use. Students found to be using drugs also then could be helped, he said.

Resident William Barkow asked the board to consider other alternatives. Studies at the University of Michigan found that drug testing had no impact on illicit drug use, Barkow said. Money for testing would be better spent on after-school programs, which have been shown to be more effective in deterring drug use, he said.

Barkow also said forcing students to submit to testing would break down their trust in adults.

The high school conducted random testing in the 1999-2000 school year. That was discontinued after an Indiana court challenge to such policies. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2002 affirmed the legality of random testing.

Duneland instituted suspicion-based testing in 2004.

Under the new program, about 10 tests will be administered per month. The $35 urine tests will be paid from high school parking permit fees, Goetz said.