Policy Code: C21

First Reading:   May 16, 2017
Second Reading:  June 6, 2017   
Adopted:    June 6, 2017

Searches of School Property

The school retains the right to examine its property at any time.  Desks, lockers, textbooks, computers, and other materials or supplies loaned by the school to students remain the property of the school, and may be opened and inspected by school employees at any time.

Search and Seizure of Student and Student Property

Searches of students’ persons, personal effects (including any electronic devices in the student’s possession) and vehicles[i] may be conducted where there are reasonable grounds for suspecting at the time of initiating the search that the search will reveal evidence of a violation of law or of school rules.  The superintendent or his or her designee may consult with legal counsel when considering whether or how to conduct a search of a student’s person, personal effects or vehicle.

The superintendent shall develop procedures to ensure that all searches and seizures of students and student property are conducted in a manner that complies with state and federal constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures of students and student property in schools.

Copies of this policy will be distributed to students when they enroll in school, and will be included in the student handbook given to students and parents at the beginning of each school year.

[i] Schools may obtain blanket permission to search vehicles that students drive to school and park in the school parking lot by requiring students to consent to such inspections as a condition of obtaining a permit for parking on school grounds.  Without consent of this sort, school officials who wish to search student vehicles need reasonable suspicion that the search will provide evidence of a violation of law or school rules.