BELLE — Maries County R-2 has been selected as one of the Missouri school sites participating in a wastewater testing program designed to measure the presence of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Superintendent Dr. Lenice Basham told the Maries County R-2 Board of Education during its Aug. 25 meeting that wastewater samples will be collected from the district several times during the school year.

“We were selected as one of the wastewater selection sites, so they’ll come like 11 times and collect water from our sewage to check for meth and fentanyl,” Basham said.

Basham said the testing will be conducted while school is in session.

“They’ll do it within the…I had to send them a copy of our calendar, so they’ll do it on those days school’s in session,” Basham said. “They won’t do it in the evening when games are in session. They’re just looking at our wastewater.”

Board members questioned what information could be gathered from the samples.

Basham said the purpose is to examine drug-use trends among high school populations across Missouri.

“They’re looking at how high schools have drug use from high schoolers across the state,” Basham said.

The timing of the testing is intended to limit the wastewater sample to periods when students are occupying the building, rather than evenings when other adults may be present for games or activities. Basham said the testing is focused on wastewater generated while students are using the school facilities.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s July 22 administrative memo says that more than 40 local education agencies (LEAs) participated voluntarily during the previous school year. Under legislation signed June 30, the program changes for the 2026-27 school year. The Missouri Department of Public Safety will randomly select LEAs across all nine Missouri State Highway Patrol troops, and selected districts are required to participate.