Committee supports consolidating drug and alcohol rules into single employee policy (draft 3‑50)

District staff told the policy committee they plan to consolidate multiple dated policies into a single Policy 3‑50 covering drug‑ and alcohol‑free workplace rules and related procedures. The proposed consolidation would combine older policies (including policies in the 300s and 400s and specific bus‑driver testing rules in the 800s) into one primary policy with an attached administrative regulation and an employee acknowledgement form to be signed at the start of the school year.

Staff told the committee the new policy would modernize language that currently appears in policies dating to the 1990s, reduce duplication and provide a single location for drug and alcohol rules that apply to all district employees. The administrative regulation would carry many of the existing procedural details, including drug‑ and alcohol‑testing rules that apply to covered employee groups such as bus drivers.

Committee members asked staff to tighten language around possession and medical prescriptions (for example, anabolic steroids or other controlled substances that may be lawfully prescribed) so the policy explicitly excludes medically prescribed, lawfully possessed medication while still addressing impairment. Staff agreed to clarify how the policy would treat lawful prescriptions versus being under the influence at work. Members also discussed disciplinary language and asked administration and human resources to retain flexibility for appropriate disciplinary responses rather than an overly prescriptive mandatory penalty schedule.

Staff said that if the board adopts the consolidation, the district may repeal multiple existing policies and roll out the new acknowledgement form at the start of the next school year. The committee asked staff to return a consolidated draft (3‑50) for further review and to ensure alignment with federal rules that govern testing requirements for certain safety‑sensitive positions.