ENFIELD BOARD APPROVES SCHOOL SCREENING, SEARCH POLICY

ENFIELD - The Board of Education on Tuesday unanimously approved a
policy regarding police screenings and searches.

The policy authorizes school administrators to call the Police
Department "to assist it in conducting screenings and/or searches of
persons or personal possessions on school property" in an effort to
deter "illegal activity."

The policy had been held for review because of concerns about the
language, and Vice Chairman Albert B. Harrison described Tuesday's
meeting as "probably the liveliest one in the last four years."

In an Oct. 9 memo to the board, an organization called the Parent
Leadership Association criticized the language used in the policy as
vague, which inspired efforts to clarify the policy.

For example, where the policy originally used the word "illicit," it
now uses "illegal" because Shannon Roberto, a member of the Parent
Leadership Association, argued the word "illicit" introduces
subjectivity that "may open the door to discrimination."

Harrison said today that some association members are still not
happy with the policy as rewritten. He added that he respects their
opinion, and he respects that they disagree with the policy, which
is effective immediately.

"I've had parents and students tell me they're in favor of the
policy," Superintendent John Gallacher said.

Both Harrison and Gallacher said that the policy does not infringe
on the personal privacy rights of students and emphasize that school
property is just that: school property. Lockers do not belong to
students; they are used by students and belong to the school.

The students themselves will not be searched unless there is
reasonable cause, Gallacher said.

"If a reliable student came to the principal and said another
student had a bag of marijuana on them," the student would be
brought to the principal's office and asked to empty his or her
pockets, bookbag, or purse.

Should a problem ensue from there, a police officer stationed at the
school would be asked to assist, and the next step would be to call
in the police.

"The police are not going to be coming into school and searching
people," said Harrison, explaining that the policy was developed
mainly for the use of the canine team in conducting screenings.

Searches using dogs would walk through hallways or parking lots
during class time. Only when reasonable cause was established would
a search ensue.

"We're hoping it's a deterrent," Gallacher said.