SCHOOL BOARD TO DISCUSS SEARCH POLICY

Community members are invited to talk about proposed changes to the
Corvallis School District's property search policy - including the possible
use of drug-sniffing dogs - during a special meeting of the School Board on
Monday evening.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the board room of the district
office, 1555 S.W. 35th St. Sign-in cards are available for those who wish
to speak. The meeting is a follow-up to an April board work session on the
subject.

The school district's current drug search policy has been in place for 10
years, and district officials have talked about possible changes for about
four years. Currently, before a drug-sniffing dog is brought in,
administrators must have a strong suspicion that drugs are present in a
student's locker or vehicle and the student must be present during the search.

Some school administrators would like to use drug-sniffing dogs throughout
the school year, perhaps during random fire drills when students are not in
the school buildings. Law enforcement officials say a handler and trained
drug-sniffing dog could search a school building in about 30 minutes.

A concern is that bringing drug dogs into the schools will break down bonds
of trust formed between the students and staff. Another comment at the
April meeting was that some students may be keeping drugs at homes near the
schools and not on school property, accessing them before and after school
or during lunch breaks.

The majority of the School Board members believe drug-sniffing dogs should
be used as a deterrent rather than as a punishment tool. Benton County
Sheriff Diana Simpson would like to place deputies in the schools on a
part-time basis to help build positive lines of communication with the
students.

Superintendent Dawn Tarzian said that although the school district is
committed to protecting students' rights to privacy, it is equally
concerned about protecting their safety.

"If changes need to be made in our student search policy and administrative
rules to minimize the presence of illegal drugs on our campuses, we can't
ignore the situation," Tarzian said. "I am looking forward to getting input
from parents and the community about what would be appropriate before
making a final decision."

A 2007 survey indicated 14.2 percent of the district's high school juniors
reported using marijuana during a 30-day period. Nearly 40 percent reported
using alcohol.

As of 2005, more than 1,200 schools nationwide allowed the use of
drug-sniffing dogs, and the number is growing from coast to coast.

The American Civil Liberties Union challenges the use of dogs, saying it
violates the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that protects
citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Other items on Monday night's meeting agenda include presentations about
emergency preparedness, creek restoration by Lincoln Middle School, the
Community 101 program and adoption of the high school precalculus program.