Observations on Ohio's Implementation of the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1986

GAO discussed federal legislation enacted to establish drug abuse education programs and its effects on Ohio drug-free school programs, focusing on: (1) how Ohio officials were using federal funds; (2) the extent to which state officials included alcohol abuse in drug-free school programs; (3) Ohio officials' methods for determining program effectiveness; and (4) Ohio students' and teachers' opinions on drug education. GAO noted that: (1) Ohio received $8.4 million in federal funds for the 1988-1989 school year; (2) the Governor received $2.5 million and spent about 85 percent on high-risk-youth programs, while the state education agency spent 90 percent of its $5.9 million directly on local school programs; (3) Ohio school districts generally spent most drug prevention funds on training school personnel, although one district used its funds primarily to employ a chemical abuse coordinator; (4) Ohio drug-free school programs included education on alcohol abuse; (5) Ohio officials were not evaluating program effectiveness and had not determined how they would comply with new legislative reporting requirements; and (6) overall, students and teachers responded positively to drug-free education programs in Ohio schools.