Spotsylvania School Board votes no to pre-hire drug testing
The Spotsylvania School Board on Monday voted against implementing pre-hire drug testing of employees, but also voted against postponing discussion of the topic indefinitely.
A motion to develop a policy for implementing drug testing of new hires and rehires who work directly with students in any capacity failed by a vote of 4-to-3, as did a substitute motion to consider implementing testing only of new hires and rehires who work with elementary and special education students.
Board members Larry DiBella (Berkeley), Rich Lieberman (Lee Hill), and Lorita Daniels (Salem) supported both motions, while Belen Rodas (Chancellor), Carol Medawar (Courtland), and Jennifer Craig-Ford (Battlefield), joined board chair Megan Jackson (Livingston) in voting against them.
“I do struggle with this,” Jackson said. “As a parent, I was shocked to learn that we don’t do this. But from a school board member lens, it doesn’t seem like the best idea… I think the sentiment is good, but I think we have also learned that your knee-jerk reactions are not always in the best interest of the school division.”
