Wisconsin school district makes home drug tests available

Schools in Maple, east of Duluth in northern Wisconsin, offer free vouchers for a website that sells testing kits.

Star Tribune

Last update: December 19, 2007 - 9:41 PM

Parents with children in a school district east of Duluth can now test their kids for illegal drugs for free -- and in private.

The Maple School District is joining with other Wisconsin districts to offer vouchers for a free testing kit, allowing parents "an opportunity to protect their son or daughter from the dangers of substances abuse, without sacrificing privacy," said Greg Blair, the district's director of curriculum and instruction.

The district, in the northernmost part of Wisconsin along the south shore of Lake Superior, has $5,000 worth of vouchers that parents can redeem through Testmyteen.com.

Testmyteen.com, of Fenton, Mo., markets its testing products to schools, individuals, law-enforcement agencies, treatment facilities and others.

Fliers publicizing what it calls the "My Parents Test Me" offer have been distributed at school events. The fliers say the testing gives students a "socially acceptable way" to say no to drugs.

"The school district is not involved after sending the voucher to parents," Blair said. "It's up to the parents to test their child and do what they want with the results."

The voucher offer "is one more step to improve student achievement, reduce absenteeism, increase graduation rates, and increase school safety," Blair said.

Critics cite the invasive nature of the tests and what they see as damage to the parent-child bond.

"It's a sacrifice of human dignity," said Dan Viets, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney in Missouri.

While parents can call the Maple School District offices to receive a voucher, it soon will be available on the district website as an added assurance of privacy, Blair said.

There is a limit of one voucher per household for a 10-panel drug-testing kit valued at $18.99. Families pay for shipping and handling, which runs about $6.

The kits test for cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, codeine, morphine, heroin, methamphetamine, Oxycontin, ecstasy and other drugs, according to Testmyteen.com's website.

Other school districts in Wisconsin that offer the vouchers include Janesville, Sparta and others in the Milwaukee area. The vouchers have yet to be distributed by districts in Minnesota.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

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