Lansing Catholic High School to mandate drug testing for students, staff

UPATED 2:25 P.M.

LANSING -- Lansing Catholic High School staff and students will begin mandatory drug testing this fall.

"The whole idea is to prevent students from using drugs, and if they are, to get them to stop and get them the help they need," said Lansing Catholic principal Tom Maloney. "Parents have told us they want a drug-free, healthy environment at Lansing Catholic."Maloney said the school, which has about 500 students in ninth through 12th grades, deals with about 10 violations of the drug and alcohol policy each year.All students and staff will submit a hair sample in September, which will be sent to a California lab for testing. The test can detect drug use within the past 90 days. Random testing will occur throughout the school year, Maloney said.