- Pursuant to Board policy, students may be subject to personal searches and searches of their possessions where reasonable individualized suspicion exists to conduct such search.
- Searches may be conducted by the Superintendent of Schools, a Building Principal, Assistant Building Principal, teacher or school nurse.
- A search based upon the reasonable belief that the health or safety of those in our schools is seriously and immediately threatened may be conducted with as much speed as is required to protect persons and property.
- Reasonable individualized suspicion to conduct a search of a student or a student’s possessions and the scope of the particular search shall be based upon: the student’s age; the student’s history and record in school; the prevalence and seriousness of the problem to which the search is directed; the urgency necessitating an immediate search; and the probative value and reliability of information used as justification for the search.
- The request for a search of a student or student’s possessions shall be directed to the Building Principal or Assistant Building Principal, who shall attempt to obtain an admission from the student of possession of the illegal matter or a voluntary consent to the search. The search shall be limited to the extent necessary to locate the illegal matter.
- Whenever practicable, the search should be conducted in the privacy of administrative offices and the student should be present when his/her possessions are being searched.
- The Building Principal or Assistant Building Principal shall be responsible for the prompt recording in writing of each student search. Such writing should include the reasons for the search, the names of those persons who were present when the search was conducted, what was searched, any substance or objects discovered, and the disposition of such matter.
- The Building Principal or Assistant Building Principal shall be responsible for the custody, control and disposition of any illegal or dangerous matter taken from a student. He or she will remain in control of such substance or objects unless the same are delivered to police authorities whereupon it shall be the responsibility of said Building Principal to personally deliver such matter to police authorities.
- Students have no reasonable expectation of privacy rights in school lockers, desks or other school storage places, and the school exercises overriding control over such school property. The Building Principal shall give notice to all students that lockers, desks and other school storage places may be subject to inspection at any time by school officials.
- No police officer shall be allowed to perform a student search unless authorized by a search warrant or upon demonstrating probable cause to establish that the commission of an illegal act is occurring on school premises. In the case of a police officer presenting a search warrant, the Building Principal shall first attempt to inform the parent or guardian of the police demand to search in order to afford the parent or guardian an opportunity to be present at the search. In the event that the parent or guardian cannot be contacted prior to a police search, the parent or guardian shall be informed of the search in writing by the Building Principal as soon thereafter as is practicable.
Regulations Pertaining to Child Protective Services’ Investigations
From time to time, Child Protective Services may desire to conduct interviews of students on school property. Such interviews generally pertain to allegations of suspected child abuse and/or neglect. The following guidelines apply to all such interviews:
- This regulation shall apply to all interviews requested by the Department of Social Services, Child Protective Services, as it pertains to that agency’s investigations involving a student. Such investigation shall include, but shall not be limited to, suspected child abuse, suspected child neglect and custody investigations.
- All requests by Child Protective Services to interview a student of the district on school property shall be made directly to the Building Principal in consultation with the Superintendent or his/her designee.
- Any such interview conducted by the Child Protective Services worker shall be made to the extent possible in the presence of the Building Principal or Superintendent’s designee.
- This regulation is for the protection and benefit of the students of the district and every reasonable effort shall be made to accommodate the request of the Department of Social Services, Child Protective Services, as it relates to the aforementioned investigations.
Adoption date: May 27, 1997
Reviewed: May 22, 2017
Revised: June 8, 2026