In 1998, Juvenile Judge James L. Cotton, Jr. became very concerned about the dramatic increase in alcohol and drug cases before his court. As a result, Judge Cotton implemented a drug testing (urinalysis) policy into the Scott County Juvenile Court. With parental consent, juveniles were randomly tested on a wide array of status and delinquent offenses. Judge Cotton kept private records of the outcomes.

After a year, he was alarmed to find that 5 of 10 drug tested were positive (7 of 10, when alcohol use was included). He also learned an immutable truth - that a drug test was the most reliable way to know if a student is experimenting with drugs.

Judge Cotton recruited a community coalition formed of school administrators, teachers, pastors, business and industry representatives, school board members, juvenile court personnel, pharmacists, govt. officials, treatment specialists and parents. The coalition was formed to study the feasibility of using drug testing in schools. The coalition named itself STAND-Schools Together Allowing No Drugs. For about 6 months, the coalition met twice a month to discuss, debate and shape a drug testing program for the public schools in Scott County.

Judge Cotton, a former school board attorney, drafted the STAND policies. During the spring and summer of that year, an intensive media campaign (TV, radio, newspaper, school presentations, public forums, etc.) launched to educate students, parents and the community about STAND. In August 2001, both school boards adopted the STAND program as policy, almost one year before the U.S. Supreme Court approved school testing, making STAND one of the first and most comprehensive student drug testing programs in the country.