The Board acknowledges the need to respect the rights of students to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures while fulfilling the District’s interest in protecting and preserving the health, safety, and welfare of the school population, enforcing rules of conduct, and maintaining an appropriate atmosphere conducive to learning.
School officials have the authority to lawfully search students or their belongings, including lockers, automobiles, electronic devices, purses, backpacks, clothing, and other possessions, without a warrant, when in school, on school grounds or when otherwise under school supervision, if there is a reasonable suspicion that the place or thing to be searched contains prohibited contraband, material that would pose a threat to the health, safety and welfare of the school population, or evidence that there has been a violation of the law, Board policy, or school rules. The scope and extent of searches must be reasonable in relation to the nature of the suspected evidence, contraband or dangerous material and to the grounds for suspecting that it may be found in the place or thing being searched. Searches may include the use of hand held security devices such as wands or other similar devices.
The District has a compelling interest in protecting and preserving the health, safety and welfare of the school population, which under certain circumstances may warrant general or random searches of students and their lockers, vehicles or other belongings without individualized suspicion, for the purpose of finding or preventing entry onto school property of controlled substances, weapons or other dangerous materials. Building administration may delegate responsibility for generalized searches to building staff.