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Kennedale ISD trustees review stricter student drug‑testing plan, narrow scope to high school
Summary
Administrators proposed narrowing mandatory testing to grades 9–12, removing parking‑lot testing and seniors’ post‑activity tests, adding required counseling before reinstatement and tougher penalties; board directed staff to bring revised policy language for a future vote.
Administrators presented a set of revisions to Kennedale ISD’s student drug‑testing policy for the 2026–27 school year and described steps to reduce cost while tightening consequences.
The presenter identified in the meeting as AK told trustees the district will propose changing the policy to test grades 9–12 only (removing junior high testing), stop testing students based on campus parking, and stop routine testing of seniors after they complete extracurriculars. AK also said the revised policy would require students and parents to complete counseling arranged by the parent or guardian and provide documentation of attendance before the student is reinstated to extracurricular participation.
The proposed discipline tiers tighten penalties. For a first offense, the district would suspend the student from 20% of the current activity (for example, two games in a 10‑game football schedule) while still requiring attendance at practices; a second offense would remove the student from extracurriculars for the remainder of the year; and a third offense would result in exclusion for a full calendar year. AK said staff would adjust the wording to specify "20% of the current activity" and to allow carryover into the next activity if a season had ended.
On testing cadence, AK described moving from a large initial sweep toward four random draws per year, with varying sample sizes timed to activity seasons. Staff estimated the change — plus elimination of stipends and reduced scope — could cut testing costs from about $32,000 to roughly $12,000 annually, a savings of about $20,000. AK also proposed placing the program language in the student handbook rather than relying on separate consent forms to reduce administrative burden.
Board members asked for clarity on counseling verification (AK said counseling could be provided by the district counselor or an outside, certified professional and would be at the family’s expense unless otherwise arranged) and on how the 20% penalty would be calculated across multiple activities. Trustees also noted equity concerns for students enrolled in multiple activities and asked staff to refine the policy wording.
The presenter said the revised policy text will be returned to the board for formal consideration at the June or July meeting. No vote on the policy was taken at this session.
