The Board of Education recognizes that the privacy of students or their belongings may not be violated by unreasonable search and seizure and directs that no student be searched without reasonable suspicion or in an unreasonable manner.

The Board acknowledges the need for in-school storage of student possessions and shall provide storage places, including desks and lockers, for that purpose. Such spaces remain the property of the Board and, in accordance with law, may be the subject of random search at any time without regard to whether there is a reasonable suspicion that search of the locker will produce evidence of a violation of a criminal statute or a school rule. Where locks are provided for such places, students may lock them against incursion by other students, but in no such places shall students have such an expectation of privacy as to prevent examination by a school official. The Board directs the school principals to conduct a routine inspection at least annually, of all such storage places.

The Board of Education 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 the person or property, including vehicles, of a student, with or without the student's consent, whenever they reasonably suspect that the search is required to discover evidence of a violation of law or of school rules. The extent of the search will be governed by the seriousness of the alleged infraction, the student's age, and the student's disciplinary history. This authorization to search shall also apply to all situations in which the student is under the jurisdiction of the Board.

Search of a student's person or intimate personal belongings shall be conducted by a person of the student's gender, in the presence of another staff member of the same gender, and only in exceptional circumstances when the health or safety of the student or of others is immediately threatened.

The Board also authorizes the use of canines, trained in detecting the presence of drugs or devices, when the Superintendent has reasonable suspicion that illegal drugs or devices may be present in a school. This means of detection shall be used only to determine the presence of drugs in locker areas and other places on school property where such substances could be concealed. Canine detection must be conducted in collaboration with law enforcement authorities and is not to be used to search individual students unless a warrant has been obtained prior to the search.

Except as provide below, a request for the search of a student or a student's possessions will be directed to the building principal or those specifically designated, who shall notify the parents/guardian and seek the freely offered consent of the student to the inspection.

Whenever possible, a search will be conducted by the principal in the presence of the student and a staff member other than the principal. A search prompted by the reasonable belief that health and safety are immediately threatened will be conducted with as much speed and dispatch as may be required to protect persons and property.

The principal shall be responsible for the prompt recording in writing of each student search, including the reasons for the search; information received that established the need for the search and the name of informant, if any; the person present when the search was conducted; any substances or objects found; and the disposition made of them. The principal shall be responsible for the custody, control, and disposition of any illegal or dangerous substance or object taken from a student.

The Superintendent shall prepare administrative guidelines to implement this policy.

R.C. 3313.20, 3313.20(B)(1)(b)
U.S. Constitution, 4th Amendment

Revised 10/22/90
Reviewed 6/94; Readopted 7/94
Revised and Readopted 10/97
Revised and Readopted 1/99