Warren De La Salle High School drug tests students

WARREN, Mich. (WJBK) - At all-boys Catholic high school Warren De La Salle, students will get tested in more than math and science.

"You come in, and they cut off a little piece of your hair from the back if you don't have enough, they take your leg hair," said a senior Connor Popa.

The nearly 700 students who make up this student body are starting the school year by getting tested for drugs 

"You feel you are safe because you are surrounded by people who care about you because you are in a drug free environment," Popa said.

The Assistant Principal of De La Salle says the testing for illegal substances started 10 years ago as random drug testing, but three years ago it went school-wide. 

"We want them to use it as an excuse to say they can't try a drug because they can get in trouble by their school, “said Brad Cusumano, assistant principal.

But school leaders make it clear, if a hair follicle test positive for a drug, the focus is not punishment. 

"We get them drug counseling, a little bit of awareness and education," he said. "We had less than one percent of our student population test positive last year and we have a little over 700 students."

The testing is not just for students, but also the staff which includes nuns and brothers who also undergo testing. 

"Drugs don't discriminate," Cusumano said.  

Once students are tested in the beginning of the year, it doesn't mean they won't get tested again.

"Everybody has a chance to get tested again," he said.

Students and staff say they hope this concept catches on.

"If we can get whole area of schools doing it, we can run drugs out of city," Popa said.