The Board seeks to ensure a learning environment which protects the health, safety and welfare of students and staff. To assist the Board in attaining these goals, district officials may, subject to the requirements below, search a student’s person and property, including property assigned by the district for the student’s use. Such searches may be conducted at any time on district property or when the student is under the jurisdiction of the district at school-sponsored activities.
All searches for evidence of a violation conducted by the district shall be subject to the following requirements:
The district official shall have individualized, "reasonable suspicion" to believe evidence of a violation of law, Board policy, administrative regulation or school rule is present in a particular place;
The search shall be "reasonable in scope." That is, the measures used are reasonably related to the objectives of the search and not excessively intrusive in light of the age, sex, maturity of the student and nature of the infraction.
District officials may also search when they have reasonable information that emergency/dangerous circumstances exist.
Routine inspections of district property assigned to students may be conducted at any time.
Use of drug-detection dogs and metal detectors, or similar detection devices, may be used only on the express authorization of the superintendent.
District officials may seize any item which is evidence of a violation of law, Board policy, administrative regulation or school rule, or which the possession or use of is prohibited by such law, policy, regulation or rule.
Students may be searched by law enforcement officials on district property or when the student is under the jurisdiction of the district upon the request of the law enforcement official. Law enforcement requests ordinarily shall be based on a warrant. District officials will attempt to notify the student’s parent(s) in advance and will be present for all such searches, whenever possible.
END OF POLICY
New Jersey v. T.L.O., 469 U.S. 325 (1985).