KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- Kirksville athletes could be subjected to random drug testing in the future.

During Nov. 30 Kirksville School Board meeting, the Athletics Committee was assigned to research the drug-testing policies of three other school districts in the school's athletic conference to see if it'd be a viable option for Kirksville.

Kirksville Schools Superintendent  Patrick Williams said he thinks such a policy would make students think twice about using drugs. If a policy were implemented, he said it would need to protect the identity of the student, and the testing would have to be random.

"Any policy that would implement testing would have a component of rehabilitation or some sort of academic support, if a student was suspended, " said Williams. "In fact, our board was adamant about the fact that when we go forward with something like this, that there be a strong component of support for students.  It's all for the protection of kids and young people; provide a deterrent and also if you do uncover someone who is using, to provide the appropriate amount of remediation and intervention along with the required punishment that might be apart of that consequence."

The athletic committee will present its research at upcoming meetings and eventually devise a policy. The board is expected to vote on the policy in the spring of 2012; if passed, it would be implemented during the 2012-2013 school year.