The New Jersey Board of Education has beefed up regulation of schools that conduct student drug testing, but won't require schools to send all drug tests to costly state-licensed labs, the Newark Star-Ledger reported Nov. 8.

The new regulations will still allow school nurses to conduct drug tests, but will require schools to provide more training and oversight. Schools also would have to adhere to rules governing student notification of testing results. "This is insurance that there is a basic floor of training and accuracy," said Barbara Gantwerk, assistant commissioner in the state education department. "We don't believe this undermines it, but provides a uniform consistency throughout the state."

About 20 school districts in New Jersey conduct student drug testing. The Department of Education rules stem from a 2005 law that allowed schools to punish students who test positive on random drug tests; testing is permitted for students taking part in extracurricular activities or seeking school parking permits.

 "We're very pleased that the commissioner of education has interpreted the regulations to permit onsite testing," said Dave Evans, executive director of the New Jersey Drug Free Schools Coalition, which had opposed the plan to require testing at state-certified labs.