Student Lockers and Locker Searches
The Board has charged school authorities with the responsibility of safeguarding the safety and well-being of the students in their care. In the discharge of that responsibility, school authorities may search school property such as lockers used by students or the person or property, including vehicles, of a student.
District authorities may search a student’s locker as determined necessary or appropriate, without notice to the student, without student consent and without a search warrant. The search may be authorized by the superintendent/designee or by the building principal/designee and may be conducted by the school principal/designee, assistant principal, school safety assistant or law enforcement officers. Prohibited items, such as weapons, drugs, drug paraphernalia and other items a school may list as inappropriate to the educational setting, may be removed from lockers during a search.
The Board recognizes that the privacy of students or his/her belongings may not be violated by unreasonable search and seizure and directs that no student be searched without reasonable suspicion that the search will turn up evidence that the student has violated or is violating either a particular law or a particular rule of the school. Any search under this paragraph must be reasonable in scope and reasonable in the manner in which it is conducted. The extent of the search will be governed by the seriousness of the suspected infraction, the student's age and gender, the student's disciplinary history, and any other relevant circumstances or information. The Principal may arrange for a breath test for blood-alcohol to be conducted on a student whenever s/he has individualized reasonable suspicion to believe the student has consumed or is under the influence of an alcoholic beverage while on school premises or while participating in a school-sponsored activity. If the result indicates a violation of school rules as described in the student handbook, the disciplinary procedure described in the student handbook will be followed. If the student refuses to take the test, the Principal will inform the student that refusal to participate implies admission of guilt leading to disciplinary action consistent with the student handbook.
In a situation in which a search of a student’s person or possessions is appropriate, school administrators should, when circumstances warrant, attempt to contact the school resource officer to conduct the search under the administrator’s direction. If the officer is not available or the circumstances did not warrant the officer's involvement, the administrator may proceed with the search, unless the information justifying the search suggests that the student is in possession of dangerous materials whereby the expertise of law enforcement is necessary. In such a case, the school official shall contact law enforcement and request their assistance.