Hazleton Area school director dusts off steroid policy, By: Sam Galski

09/19/06

 A Hazleton Area school director wants more of HASD’s athletes screened for anabolic steroid use. Director Carmella Yenkevich recently asked school board Athletics Committee members and Athletics Director Chris Perry if the school district has been following a 1993 policy that calls for screening three students each year for steroid use.
Perry, apparently caught off guard by the request, said there have been coaching changes in various sports over the years and said he believes the screening process “slipped through the cracks.”
He offered to talk with coaches and head nurse Ellen McBride and report back to the board.
Yenkevich at the time said she was merely wondering if personnel had been following Policy 227.1, which prohibits anabolic steroid use by any HASD athlete and bans users from participating in athletics for an entire school year.
An ensuing section establishes guidelines for the screening procedure.
“A minimum of three (3) students per year will be selected to submit a witnessed urine sample for analysis,” the policy reads. “The students will be selected by district coaches and trainers. Selection does not establish guilt. Coaches and trainers are encouraged to refer students who have marked weight gain or display excessive muscle development for testing.”
District-authorized licensed laboratory facilities would conduct the tests, the policy states.
School directors who attended a recent Athletics Committee meeting didn’t have much to say about Yenkevich’s request.
Director Rick Morelli said he favors the concept behind the policy, but suggested amending it to include “who’s doing (the test); how it’s being done and how (athletes) are selected.”
“We should put something in place,” Morelli said. “Especially with everything going on in the public. Next meeting, we could clean it up.”
Yenkevich said Monday that she has since spoke with Perry about the issue and found that the policy apparently hasn’t been followed.
“It seems no one even knew this policy existed,” Yenkevich said.
Yenkevich also said she’d like to see the policy amended – to include screening periods for each sports season.
“That (current) policy is for (screening) three athletes per year,” Yenkevich said. “I would be in favor of three athletes for each season of sports – fall, winter and spring. I would like to pursue it. We don’t want kids doing that.”
Directors will most likely wait until next month’s Athletics Committee meeting and decide on whether or not to amend the policy.
In other business, the school board recently:
o Reviewed a list of personnel requests submitted by Special Education Director Carl Manfredi.
Manfredi asked the board to consider extending the hours of a special education paraprofessional position from 4½ to 6½ hours and asked the board to consider appointing a long-term substitute for physical therapy services offered at Heights-Terrace Elementary/Middle School.
The board had also been asked to consider approving the resignation of a special education aide and to consider appointing four teachers as gifted mini course instructors.
Names and salaries of the appointees will be released at the Sept. 28 regular meeting.
o Had been asked by officials at Hazleton Area Career Center (HACC) to consider accepting a gas furnace and boiler donated by Plum Air and APR Supply and HVAC firms.
The boiler is worth $3,500 while the furnace is valued at $1,000, officials aid.
Kevin Dodson, Plum Air owner, will deliver the equipment and provide service technicians to set it up and work with HACC students.
o Listened to HACC Principal Clarence John’s request for buying an electric range for the culinary arts program.
A federal Perkin’s grant will be used to buy the range from Rice’s Food Equipment and Consulting for $4,231.35.