To maintain order and discipline in Renton Junior High School and to protect the safety and welfare of students and staff, school officials have the right to conduct reasonable searches of student and school property.
School Property – Student desks and other such property are owned by the school district, which exercises exclusive control over them. Students should not expect privacy regarding items placed in/on school property because school property is subject to search at any time by school officials.
Personal Property – Students and their personal property (backpacks, purses, etc.) are subject to search if a school official has reasonable cause to believe that a student is in possession of illegal, unauthorized (stolen), hazardous, or contraband materials.
Canine/Metal Detectors – The school administration may use canine and metal detectors to search for illegal, unauthorized (stolen), hazardous, or contraband materials.
Definitions:
Reasonable Cause: A belief based on specific reasonable inferences which an administrator is entitled to draw from the facts in light of his/her experience. Specific reasonable inferences may be drawn from instances including, but not limited to a tip from a reliable student, suspicious behavior, smells, or bulges in a pocket, and the like.
Contraband: All substances or materials, the presence of which is prohibited by school policy and/or state law, including but not limited to controlled substances, drugs, alcohol, tobacco or alcoholic beverages, combustible glue or aerosol paint, guns, knives, weapons, incendiary and explosive devices.
POLICY ON SEARCHES OF PUPILS’ LOCKERS AND LOCKER CONTENTS
Lockers are School Property:
All lockers assigned to pupils are the property of the School District. At no time does the District relinquish its exclusive control of its lockers. The school principal or his/her designee shall have custody of all combinations to all lockers or locks. Pupils are prohibited from placing locks on any locker without the advance approval of the school principal of his/her designee.
Legitimate Use of School Lockers:
The school assigns lockers to its pupils’ convenience and temporary use. Pupils are to use lockers exclusively to store school-related materials and authorized personal items such as outer garments, footwear, grooming aids, or lunch. Pupils shall not use the lockers for any other purpose, unless specifically authorized by School Board policy or the school principal or his/her designee, in advance of pupils bringing the items to school. Pupils are solely responsible for the contents of their lockers and should not share their lockers with other pupils, or divulge locker combinations to other pupils, unless authorized by the school principal or his/her designee.
Search of Locker Contents:
Random searches of school lockers and their contents have a positive impact on deterring violations of school rules and regulations, ensure proper maintenance of school property, and provide greater safety and security for pupils and personnel. Accordingly, the Board authorizes the school principal or his/her designee to search lockers and locker content at any time, without notice and without parental/guardianship or pupil consent.
The school principal or his/her designee shall not be obligated, but may request the assistance of a law enforcement officer in conducting a locker search. The school principal or his/her designee shall supervise the search. In the course of a locker search, the school principal or his/her designee shall respect the privacy rights of the pupil regarding any items discovered that are not illegal or against school policy and rules.
Seizure:
When conducting locker searches, the school principal or his/her designee may seize any illegal or unauthorized items, items in violation of Board policy or rules, or any other items reasonably determined by the school principal or his/her designee to be a potential threat to the safety or security of others. Such items include, but are not limited to the following, firearms, explosives, dangerous weapons, flammable material, illegal controlled substances or controlled substance analogues or other intoxicants, contraband, poisons, and stolen property. Law enforcement officials shall be notified immediately upon seizure of such dangerous items of seizure of terms that school are required to report to law enforcement agencies under the Statewide School Safety Information Policy. Any items seized by the school principal or his/her designee shall be removed from the locker and held by school officials for evidence in disciplinary proceedings and/or turned over to law enforcement officials. The parent/guardian of a minor pupil, or a pupil eighteen (18) years of age or older, shall be notified by the school principal or his/her designee of items removed from the locker.
NOTICE OF POLICY
A copy of the Board policy regarding locker searches shall be provided annually to each pupil and parent/guardian of the pupil assigned a school locker.
School Property – Student desks and other such property are owned by the school district, which exercises exclusive control over them. Students should not expect privacy regarding items placed in/on school property because school property is subject to search at any time by school officials.
Personal Property – Students and their personal property (backpacks, purses, etc.) are subject to search if a school official has reasonable cause to believe that a student is in possession of illegal, unauthorized (stolen), hazardous, or contraband materials.
Canine/Metal Detectors – The school administration may use canine and metal detectors to search for illegal, unauthorized (stolen), hazardous, or contraband materials.
Definitions:
Reasonable Cause: A belief based on specific reasonable inferences which an administrator is entitled to draw from the facts in light of his/her experience. Specific reasonable inferences may be drawn from instances including, but not limited to a tip from a reliable student, suspicious behavior, smells, or bulges in a pocket, and the like.
Contraband: All substances or materials, the presence of which is prohibited by school policy and/or state law, including but not limited to controlled substances, drugs, alcohol, tobacco or alcoholic beverages, combustible glue or aerosol paint, guns, knives, weapons, incendiary and explosive devices.
POLICY ON SEARCHES OF PUPILS’ LOCKERS AND LOCKER CONTENTS
Lockers are School Property:
All lockers assigned to pupils are the property of the School District. At no time does the District relinquish its exclusive control of its lockers. The school principal or his/her designee shall have custody of all combinations to all lockers or locks. Pupils are prohibited from placing locks on any locker without the advance approval of the school principal of his/her designee.
Legitimate Use of School Lockers:
The school assigns lockers to its pupils’ convenience and temporary use. Pupils are to use lockers exclusively to store school-related materials and authorized personal items such as outer garments, footwear, grooming aids, or lunch. Pupils shall not use the lockers for any other purpose, unless specifically authorized by School Board policy or the school principal or his/her designee, in advance of pupils bringing the items to school. Pupils are solely responsible for the contents of their lockers and should not share their lockers with other pupils, or divulge locker combinations to other pupils, unless authorized by the school principal or his/her designee.
Search of Locker Contents:
Random searches of school lockers and their contents have a positive impact on deterring violations of school rules and regulations, ensure proper maintenance of school property, and provide greater safety and security for pupils and personnel. Accordingly, the Board authorizes the school principal or his/her designee to search lockers and locker content at any time, without notice and without parental/guardianship or pupil consent.
The school principal or his/her designee shall not be obligated, but may request the assistance of a law enforcement officer in conducting a locker search. The school principal or his/her designee shall supervise the search. In the course of a locker search, the school principal or his/her designee shall respect the privacy rights of the pupil regarding any items discovered that are not illegal or against school policy and rules.
Seizure:
When conducting locker searches, the school principal or his/her designee may seize any illegal or unauthorized items, items in violation of Board policy or rules, or any other items reasonably determined by the school principal or his/her designee to be a potential threat to the safety or security of others. Such items include, but are not limited to the following, firearms, explosives, dangerous weapons, flammable material, illegal controlled substances or controlled substance analogues or other intoxicants, contraband, poisons, and stolen property. Law enforcement officials shall be notified immediately upon seizure of such dangerous items of seizure of terms that school are required to report to law enforcement agencies under the Statewide School Safety Information Policy. Any items seized by the school principal or his/her designee shall be removed from the locker and held by school officials for evidence in disciplinary proceedings and/or turned over to law enforcement officials. The parent/guardian of a minor pupil, or a pupil eighteen (18) years of age or older, shall be notified by the school principal or his/her designee of items removed from the locker.
NOTICE OF POLICY
A copy of the Board policy regarding locker searches shall be provided annually to each pupil and parent/guardian of the pupil assigned a school locker.