A precedent setting event took place for public education in the Wiregrass. The Andalusia City School District has become one of just a handful in Alabama to start a mandatory drug testing policy.

This policy isn’t for all 1700 students in the district. It's for seventh through twelfth graders who are involved in any competitive activity. It's not just for athletes and cheerleaders. It's also for band members because they have competitions.

On Tuesday, a drug testing team arrived at Andalusia High School to conduct a mandatory drug testing for nearly 400 students involved in competitive sports and activities.

Andalusia City Superintendent, Dr. Beverly McAnulty, recently received a $60,000 federal grant to get the program underway.

If a student tests positive, he or she will go through a series of disciplinary steps, but it will not be used to keep the student out of the classroom.

Andalusia High's principal says he's only received positive feedback about the program from parents and the community at large.

Beginning next month, approximately 10 percent of the pool of students will receive follow-up tests.

The tests are random. District-wide drug testing is taking place in several large counties around Birmingham, but Andalusia is one of the first in southern Alabama.

It's stressed that the drug test results are strictly confidential, and cannot be used by law enforcement against a student.