Student Planner 2013-14 - Pinkerton Academy

period of one school year.SEARCH OF STUDENTS – PROCEDURES AND REGULATIONSSearches shall be conducted under the following provisions:Entry by a student onto Academy property or participation in an Academy function is deemed consent to a searchof the student’s person and property.A student is subject to search by Academy staff if reasonable grounds exist to suspect that evidence of a violationof the law or Academy rules will be discovered.Persons Authorized to Conduct a SearchOnly administrators or School Resource Officers are authorized to conduct searches of a student’s person or astudent’s belongings. Such individuals may only conduct a search if there is reasonable suspicion.Reasonable SuspicionFor the purposes of these regulations, “reasonable suspicion” means that a Pinkerton Academy employee hasreasonable grounds to believe that either the law or Academy rules have been violated. Reasonable suspicion maybe established if a Pinkerton Academy employee observes, hears or is informed of behavior or actions that violateeither the law or Academy rules.Students do not have any expectation of privacy in belongings stored on Academy property, including but not limitedto vehicles, desks, lockers, storage areas, backpacks, purses, wallets, and the like. Buses are considered schoolproperty. The Academy maintains access to lockers via a master key or knowledge of lock combinations. Such areasmay be searched by an administrator or School Resource Officer at any time, with or without reasonable individualizedsuspicion. Students will not necessarily be informed that such areas are going to be searched.Locker SearchesA. Lockers, desks and storage areas are the property of Pinkerton Academy. When assigned a locker, desk or storagearea, a student shall be responsible for its proper care. A student may be subject to a fine for any willful damage to schoolproperty. Students are encouraged to keep their assigned lockers closed and locked. However, the Academy retains theright to access any locked Academy property. A shared locker implies shared responsibility for a locker and its contents.B. A student’s locker, desk or storage area may be searched by Academy staff if reasonable grounds exist to suspectthat evidence of a violation of the law or school rules will be uncovered. Academy administration shall reporta student’s suspicious activity to the Dean of Students prior to initiating a search, except in emergency situationswhen risk of harm to students or staff demands immediate action.C. Authorized persons may search all lockers, desks or storage areas without prior notice given to students and withoutindividualized suspicion that the search will yield evidence of any particular student’s violation of the law or school rules.Use of Detection DogsThe Dean of Students is authorized to arrange for the use of trained detection dogs to conduct a sweep, generalinspection or search to aid in identifying the presence or absence of drugs, alcohol and related paraphernalia inschool buildings and on all school facilities, grounds, parking lots and any other Pinkerton Academy owned property.SearchesStudents are expected to cooperate in investigations. Failure to cooperate with an investigation may be cause fordisciplinary action, resulting in a suspension of not less than 6 days; and 10 days for a second offense. If a studentrefuses to participate or cooperate at any stage of an investigation for whatever reason, the school reserves the rightto take action, including proceeding without a statement from the student.A complete copy of our search procedures and regulations is available upon request.Smoking/TobaccoPinkerton Academy will enforce RSA 78:12-C and RSA 155:64-77, which mandates that smoking is totally prohibitedin all school buildings and on all school property by all individuals at all times in New Hampshire, and thatno person under 18 years of age shall purchase, possess, or use any tobacco product. Any person under 18 whoviolates this section will be guilty of a violation and shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $100 for each offense.Further, students may also be required to complete up to 20 hours of community service for each offense. Possessionor use of any tobacco product or electronic delivery devices, known as electronic cigarettes, by any Pinkerton17