PennLive's Week in Photos, June 13, 2014

Fourteen-year-old Leila May was selected for drug tests at least 5 times as a Susquenita Middle School student. At the start of eighth grade, May pulled out of extracurricular activities in order to avoid further testing. Elizabeth Frantz, PennLive

(Elizabeth Frantz)

After Michael and Melinda May's daughter was drug-tested five times in three years at Susquenita Middle School, they refused to sign a permission slip allowing it to happen again.

Leila May was drug-tested once during her fifth grade year, once in sixth grade and three times as a seventh grader because Susquenita School District randomly tests students in grades five through 12 who participate in extracurricular activities and apply for parking permits.

Without the permission slip signed, Leila was unable to participate in the National Junior Honor Society during her eighth-grade year, which ended last week. But Melinda May said that's what had to happen to ensure the 14-year-old wouldn't have to face another "embarrassing" urine test. All of Leila's tests came back negative, she said.

"We were so tired of this happening over and over again, so we said 'what can we do to make it stop?' We took her out of NJHS because of it," Melinda May said. "It's sad that this is what we had to resort to. It's ridiculous."

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Michael May said he and his wife "went to the principal, school board, superintendent – they're all lame on this issue. We even contacted the ACLU. They said it was concerning, but sadly, legal."

"We pulled Leila out of National Honor Society over it," he continued. "That's what caused her to be tested, my straight-A student."

The Duncannon residents aren't the only parents fired up over the district's random drug-testing policy. Kristin Cassell's 10-year-old daughter, Natalie, who just completed the fifth grade, was tested three times last school year. And Cassell, who believes the district is wasting valuable tax dollars to drug-test 10- and 11-year-olds, plans to speak out against the testing of such young students during the school board's meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Susquenita Superintendent Kent Smith said during a recent interview with PennLive that he believes the policy, adopted in 2002, deters students from using drugs and that he isn't interested in recommending a change. Several school board members did not respond to interview requests to discuss the controversial policy.

The Mays believe the testing does more harm than good, deterring students from participating in healthy, educational activities.

Susquenita isn't the only midstate school district that administers drug tests on students. Other districts don't tend to test students at such a young age, however.

Cumberland Valley School District tests students who apply for driving permits and participate in sports and other activities in ninth through 12th grades. South Middleton School District has a similar policy. And Middletown Area School district also tests students. Students are not tested in the Carlisle Area School District, Derry Township and Susquehanna Township school districts.

Schools can administer drug tests on kids participating in sports and other activities outside of the classroom because they are considered privileges, according to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

Recent court cases have shown that a district must prove there is a need, such as evidence of a drug-use problem among its broader student population, before it can test the entire student body, said Steve Robinson, spokesman for the PSBA.

South Middleton School Board adopted its random drug-testing policy in 2000 and only tested student athletes in ninth through 12th grades until it revised it last year to include those who drive to school.

South Middleton spends roughly $50,000 annually to administer the drug tests, said Assistant Superintendent Joseph Mancuso. Three students tested positive during the past five years, and last year, no students failed the drug screenings, Mancuso said.

Though hard to measure, the district feels the policy gives students clear guidelines for the most unacceptable of behaviors in and out of school and a refusal tool that helps them deal with peer pressure, he said.

Still, the board's policy committee is reviewing the policy to see if there are improvements to be made, said Alan Moyer, South Middleton superintendent.

South Middleton, like CV, works with Holy Spirit Hospital to administer student urine tests. Holy Spirit has a strict process and sometimes students can't urinate on demand at the hospital, which could cause them to miss tests at school, Moyer said.

"Our policy committee is reviewing the policy and some of the things that have evolved, or some of the unintended consequences, and what we learned from implementing the policy and Holy Spirit procedures experienced this year," he said.

Lower Dauphin School District Superintendent Sherri Smith did not respond to repeated interview requests. Middletown Area School District Superintendent Lori Suski did not respond to an interview request on Monday, nor did West Shore Area School District spokesman Ryan Argot.

What Susquenita School District drug tests detect

Susquenita School District administers full and partial drug screenings. A full screen costs the district $45 per test and will the detect the use of amphetamines (including ecstasy), barbiturates, benzodiazipine, maijuana, cocaine, methadone, methqualone, opiates (including heroin and crack), PCP and propoxyphene. Testing for marijuana, PCP, amphetamines, cocaine and opiates is considered a priority.

A partial screen costs $21.25 per test and detects the use of amphetamines (including ecstasy), barbiturates, marijuana, cocaine and opiates (including heroin and crack).

Students selected for the urine tests are notified in person by the principal or designee and well be escorted/transported to and from the test site by school officials, according to policy 227.1.

The athletic director will attempt to notify the parents/guardians to inform them of their child's selection and the time of the test.

Parents/guardians can join their child at the testing site, but they must remain in the waiting room during the testing process, the random drug-testing policy states.

This story was corrected to note how many students tested positive for drug use during the past five years at South Middleton School District.