The Board believes that illegal, unauthorized or contraband materials may cause material and substantial disruption to the school environment or present a threat to the health and safety of students, employees, or visitors on the school district premises or property within the jurisdiction of the district.
District property is held in public trust by the Board. District officials (meaning licensed school employees and unlicensed school employees employed for security or supervision purposes) may, without a search warrant, search students, students lockers, personal effects, desks, or work areas, based on a reasonable and articulable suspicion that a district policy, rule, regulation or law has been violated. The search shall be in a manner reasonable in scope and conducted in a manner that maintains order and discipline in the schools, promotes the educational environment, and protects the safety and welfare of students, employees and visitors to the district facilities.
The furnishing of a locker, desk or other facility or space owned by the school and provided as a courtesy to a student, even if the student provides the lock for it, shall not create a protected student area and shall not give rise to an expectation of privacy with respect the locker, desk, or other facility.
Notwithstanding the requirements stated above, school officials may conduct periodic inspections of all or a randomly selected number of student lockers. At the beginning of each school year, the district shall provide written notice to each student and the student's parents, guardians, or legal custodians that school officials may conduct periodic inspections of all school lockers without prior notice. An inspection of the lockers may be accomplished using such methods including, but not limited to, a visual search of lockers by school officials or the use, by school officials or others retained at their direction, or a drug sniffing animal.
In conducting their searches and inspections, school officials may seize any illegal, unauthorized or contraband materials discovered in the search. Items of contraband include, but are not limited to, nonprescription controlled substances, marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates, apparatus used for controlled substances, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, weapons, explosives, poisons and stolen property. These items are not to be possessed by a student while they are on district property or on property within the jurisdiction of the district; while on school owned and/or operated school or chartered buses or vehicles; while attending or engaged in school activities; and while away from school grounds if misconduct will directly affect the good order, efficient management and welfare of the district. Possession of such items will be grounds for disciplinary action including suspension or expulsion and may be reported to local law enforcement officials.
*Revised: 02/09/98
*Reviewed: 01/15/07
*Revised: 12/13/10
*Reviewed: 05/04/12
*Reviewed: 07/10/17
*Revised: 7/11.22