Steroid use is not just limited to star athletes who are competing for college scholarships; school officials said the problem extends to non-athletes who think a more buff body will make them popular. A recent survey of 50,000 teens conducted by the University of Michigan found that 3.5 percent of high-school seniors used steroids at least once, up from 2.1 percent in 1991. The figures exclude users of over-the-counter supplements, such as andro or creatine.

"There was a big increase when Mark McGwire broke the home-run record. Of course, he was using andro, but that may have been a distinction lost on a lot of the kids," said Lloyd Johnston, who led the study. "If you're looking at a classroom of 30 boys, one of them is using steroids."

While a number of schools test for marijuana, cocaine, and other illegal drug use at an estimated $9,000 each season, most schools are unable to afford the additional $44,000 to test for illegal bodybuilding drugs.

"For a small district to do this kind of testing would be cost-prohibitive," said Joseph Wilimek, a school superintendent in California. "Right now our priority is keeping staff -- we've had to lay off three teachers and reduce our administrative staff already."

In Florida, state Rep. Marcelo Llorente (R-Miami) has introduced a bill that would address the cost issue of steroid testing. Under the measure, each county would be required to randomly test at least 5 percent of its athletes. The University of Florida veterinary laboratory would analyze the tests for a cost of $33 each. The school lab already tests steroid samples of horses and greyhounds.

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