POLICY MANUAL - Calhoun County Schools

property items as student desks, lockers, and related property are and remain theproperty of the Board of Education.The Board of Education is charged with the maintenance of such property itemsand thus, authorizes inspection for any maintenance-related reasons and other reasonsrelated to the routine operations of the school and classroom. With respect to openingsaid student lockers or desks for other reasons, the following shall be consideredapplicable throughout the School District.Desks, lockers and other equipment at any school belong to the School Boardand, although assigned to particular students for use may be entered and searched byschool officials whenever said school officials have reasonable belief that somesubstance or other material is contained therein which is illegal, harmful to the safety ofthe student himself or the student body as a whole, or significantly disruptive of ordangerous to the overall discipline of the school.Any items which are specifically prohibited by law, by Board of Education policyor by fair and reasonable local school regulation may be impounded by school officials.In such cases, students shall be given a receipt for said impounded items. Suchprohibited items shall include, but shall not be limited to the following: (1) weapons, (2)drugs of any sort, (3) alcoholic beverages, (4) pornographic or otherwise obscenematerials, (5) tobacco products, (6) pagers and other electronic communication devices,and (7) any other object, controlled substance, or materials which would be a violationor evidence of a violation of federal or state law, of Board Policy, or of the local school’sfair and reasonable regulation.Police Interrogations of StudentsA student enrolled in the school district shall not be interrogated by any lawenforcement authority on school property during regular school hours without theknowledge of the school’s principal or his designee. All interrogations and interviewsshall be conducted in a private setting, and an official school representative shallnormally be present. In appropriate situations, school officials may permit privateinterviews with students by police officers. Reasonable effort shall be made to contact aparent or guardian and/or to have a parent or guardian present. In those instanceswhen a parent/guardian cannot be contacted or is not present within a reasonableperiod of time, school officials must allow interviews by law enforcement officials toproceed in the absence of the parent/guardian. If the student is to be removed from theschool by police officers, a reasonable effort shall be made to contact theparent/guardian. Questioning or interviewing of students conducted by school officialsDOES NOT require parental contact or consent, even if such questioning occurs in thepresence or vicinity of law enforcement officials or the information obtained by schoolofficials is later shared with law enforcement.Search of Student’ Person/Personal EffectsThe Board of Education authorizes teachers and administrative personnel whohave reasonable belief that a student or students are in possession of weapons, illegaldrugs, or other items harmful to the student or students or to the welfare of the student