Knox County Schools, Discipline Procedures Manual. 

For consistency, it is suggested we follow past practices as defined in the old policy handbook:  Prior to taking action, the principal should post notices that school lockers and vehicles parked on school grounds are subject to search. 

This policy recommendation applies to situations in which contraband drugs may be contained in an unspecified school locker or a vehicle located within a specified area of the school building or grounds. The principal may request a controlled sweep search of the identified area by trained drug detecting dogs. The request shall be made to a Knox County Schools security officer within an expedient time frame that will allow a timely response. The sweep search shall be conducted according to the following prescribed guidelines: 

1. The principal shall be in charge, and the personnel handling the dogs shall operate under the principal’s jurisdiction while on schools grounds.
2. The principal and dog handlers shall follow procedures intended to maintain a true chain of evidence while at the same time protecting the physical safety and due process rights of students and school personnel.
3. The principal shall recommend a time for the sweep search, giving consideration to the optimum time for detecting the contraband drug with minimum disruption to the school operation. When the time is set, Knox County School Security shall alert school personnel specifically assigned in the search.
4. School personnel and/or security officers may be used to block access to the search area by students and other unauthorized persons during the time devoted to the sweep.
5. Dog handlers shall work the dogs as rapidly as practical up and down the area of lockers or vehicles in the secured areas. Any locker or vehicle that is identified as containing illegal drugs shall be marked. Upon completion of the sweep the dog handling team will exit the school property, and school personnel shall stand by the marked locker or vehicle until the principal completes the next step.
6. The principal shall summon the student responsible for the identified locker or vehicle, if said student is known and on the premises, and request the student to open the door. If refused by the student, or if the responsible student is unknown or not on school premises, the principal may forcibly enter the locker or vehicle.
7. If contraband is found, the principal shall document it as to locker number or vehicle license number, the name of the student assigned to the locker or operating the vehicle, the time and date, the location of the contraband in the locker or the vehicle, what the contraband is believed to be, and how is it packaged. The contraband will then be placed in a clear bag and marked with the time, date, student’s name, school and finder’s initials. The school security officer shall then take the evidence to the State Toxicology Laboratory for testing and identification.
8. Upon confirmation of the illegal nature of a substance located under these procedures, the principal will proceed according to the Board’s due process policy (J-181) if disciplinary action is to be taken. Also reference Board policy regarding Zero Tolerance and possession (J-194 & J-190). 

(Refer to guideline on notifying Knox County Security.)