By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – A large suburban St. Louis school district will begin voluntary testing of athletes for performance-enhancing drugs in the 2005-06 school year.
The Fort Zumwalt School District board approved the program at a meeting last night.
Superintendent Bernard DeBray says the new policy was prompted in part by news about steroid use in pro sports.
In addition to performance-enhancing drugs, athletes, cheerleaders and pom pom participants could be randomly tested for illegal drugs such as marijuana and meth.
First-time offenders will be put into counseling and will not face disciplinary action. Second-time offenders will be suspended from their sport.
The 18,000-student district is the state's seventh-largest.