The Board of Education, in recognition of the necessity of conducting searches and seizures from time to time in order to enforce school policies, adopts the following policy regarding searches and seizures.

I. Definition: As used in this policy contraband means any substance, material or object prohibited from school pursuant to school policy or state or federal law, including drugs, alcohol, fireworks, or weapons.

II. Rules Regarding Searches and Seizures: The District reserves the right to search persons, personal effects, and vehicles as follows:

A. A pat-down search of a person may be conducted on the basis of a reasonable, individualized suspicion that such person is in possession of contraband. Any such search shall be conducted in private by an authorized school official of the same sex as the person to be searched and in the presence of a witness of the same sex. Strip searches are not permitted. However, with reasonable, individualized suspicion, coats, purses, backpacks, briefcases or similar personal effects may be searched.

B. Lockers, desks, and similar storage facilities are school property and remain at all times under the control of the school; however, persons using such facilities are expected to assume full responsibility for the security of their lockers and desks and similar facilities. School officials for any reason, may conduct periodic general inspections of lockers, desks and similar facilities at any time, without notice and without consent.

C. Persons are permitted to park on school premises as a matter of privilege, not of right. The district retains the authority to conduct routine patrols of school parking lots and inspections of the exteriors of automobiles on school property. Such patrols and inspections may be conducted without notice and without consent. The interiors of vehicles on school property may be inspected whenever a school official has a reasonable individualized suspicion that contraband is within such a vehicle.

D. In any of the foregoing enforcement actions, the administration is authorized to use dogs whose reliability and accuracy for sniffing and detecting contraband has been established. The dogs will be accompanied by a qualified and authorized dog trainer-handler, who will be responsible for the dogs actions. Any indication by the dog that an illegal or unauthorized substance or object is present on school property, or in a vehicle on school property shall be reasonable cause for a search by school officials.

Rio Rancho Public Schools
Adopted: June 27, 1994
Revised: August 23, 1999
Revised: September 6, 2001