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Board hears proposal to set 2‑hour urine‑sample limit, clarifies athletic testing and consequences
Summary
District staff proposed a 120‑minute time limit for student athletes to provide urine samples, clarified which substances are tested and said NIAA suspension rules (six weeks, then 90 days, then a ban) would be applied; trustees pressed for clearer language about testing frequency and nicotine testing.
Carson City School District staff on Tuesday discussed revisions to the district’s random‑urine testing procedures for high‑school athletes, including a proposed two‑hour (120‑minute) limit for students to provide a sample to the testing vendor.
"We're requesting 120 minutes for students," Rodney Wade told trustees during the discussion of Regulation 5.34, asking that inability to provide a sample within that window be treated as a failed test.
Athletic director Thomas Reimer said the district’s program is intended as a deterrent and described how the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) suspension framework is implemented locally: a first positive or possession typically carries a six‑week suspension (four weeks can be waived with participation in a program), a second infraction results in a 90‑day ban and a third ends a student’s high‑school athletic eligibility unless an appeal to NIAA succeeds.
Reimer also told the board the district’s testing provider does not currently test for nicotine; the NIAA lists alcohol and tobacco (including vaping) on its band list, and some other counties include nicotine testing. District funding for testing currently comes from Partnership Carson City.
Trustees asked detailed questions about the number of follow‑up tests after a positive result. The regulation language allows the district to require "up to 5" periodic urine tests over the next calendar year after a positive result; separate paragraphs specify "no fewer than 2" after a first positive and "no fewer than 4" after a second positive. Trustees suggested clarifying this math to avoid inconsistency.
The proposed procedural changes were presented for discussion only; no vote was taken. Staff said the district is keeping the regulation aligned with NIAA suspensions without repeating every NIAA penalty in district text.
Next steps: trustees asked staff to clean up inconsistent language (numbering and parent/guardian wording in the appendix) and to return if further changes are needed before a formal action item.
