Upon returning from vacation Thursday, I read with interest about the Chilton County Board of Education approving random drug testing for students at my alma mater, Chilton County High School.

Having covered a previous meeting in which this policy was presented to the board, my understanding is that the drug testing will affect only those students involved with athletics and related extracurricular activities.

My opinion is that this could be a good policy, and I believe it should eventually be done countywide. But I commend the board and Superintendent Keith Moore for not making such a decision hastily.

When it comes to most issues, you have to look at each school individually because each school has its own unique set of problems.

I believe it would be a good idea for the board to listen to each school’s administrator and gather ideas, combined with the proposed policy of Mr. DeJarnett, and form a countywide policy that would meet everybody’s needs.

Perhaps the drug testing policy at Chilton County High School should be treated as a pilot program for other schools in the county to observe. As with any major program, you have to kind of test the waters first before making any permanent decision.

I have read comments on our Web site on this issue from people saying the drug testing could be extended to include all students. While this certainly could have its benefits, it seems a bit extreme right now, and I don’t know how the county school system could fund such a program.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing to require drug testing of student athletes. They are more in the public eye, and they carry their school’s name with them wherever they travel around the state and region. Not to say that other students don’t do the same.

I hope this policy doesn’t end with CCHS.