JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI — Missouri has finalized contracts for a controversial new initiative that will test public school wastewater for fentanyl and other drugs, marking a significant expansion of drug surveillance efforts into educational settings.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety has awarded a $7 million contract to Mighty Good Solutions, operating as Stercus Bioanalytics, to conduct wastewater testing at up to 12 public schools statewide. The program was first announced by Gov. Mike Kehoe earlier this year as part of a broader push to address the state’s opioid crisis, which remains among the deadliest in the nation.
According to state officials, the project will involve weekly wastewater sampling designed to identify short- and long-term trends in substance use. School districts were recently contacted and invited to opt into the program, which the state says will impose no additional responsibilities on school staff. Data collected could be used to guide public safety and prevention initiatives.
The program includes $4 million earmarked specifically for testing and an additional $3 million tied to law enforcement-related efforts. Responsibility for the project was shifted from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to the Department of Public Safety, a move that has raised questions among some educators and civil liberties advocates about how the data may ultimately be used.
While the testing is described as anonymous and aggregate, details remain limited on how results will translate into policy or enforcement actions. No schools have begun testing yet. Similar proposals are being explored in other states, including Mississippi, as governments search for new tools to combat rising fentanyl deaths.
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