Lansing Catholic High School To Mandate Drug Testing For Students, Staff

Psychemedics is proud to partner with Lansing Catholic School to help them create a drug-free environment.

LANSING — Lansing Catholic High School staff and students will begin mandatory school drug testing this fall.

“The whole idea is to prevent students from using drugs, and if they are, to get them to stop and get them the help they need,” said Lansing Catholic principal Tom Maloney. “Parents have told us they want a drug-free, healthy environment at Lansing Catholic.”

Maloney said the school, which has about 500 students in ninth through 12th grades, deals with about 10 violations of the drug and alcohol policy each year.

All students and staff will submit a hair drug test sample in September, which will be sent to a California lab for testing. The test can detect drug use within the past 90 days. Random testing will occur throughout the school year, Maloney said. Students who test positive for drug use will be referred for counseling and re-tested at a later time.

John Brennan, president of the Lansing Catholic school board, said the board’s decision to go ahead with school drug testing was unanimous. About 175 Catholic schools around the country have implemented drug-testing policies. Lansing Catholic draws students from more than 20 different middle schools and K-8 elementary schools. Its staff includes about 30 teachers. Tuition after grants and subsidies is about $5,800 per student.