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Board reviews administrative-search and emergency-drill regulations, clarifies SRO role and parent-notification
Summary
The board reviewed changes to administrative-search regulations and moved emergency-drill language into the correct policy; clarifications were made that SROs may be present for safety but not conduct administrative student searches, and parent-notification procedures for drills will be reinforced.
The Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education on Nov. 5 conducted a first reading of administrative-search regulations (JCAB) and a mid-period review of emergency-drill language (EBBC/EBB). Staff moved drill language from a general safety policy into the dedicated emergency-drills policy and said the change aligns policy with state and federal best practices and the district's emergency manager recommendations.
In the JCAB discussion, staff clarified that administrative searches of students are the responsibility of school administrators and not law-enforcement officers; a school resource officer (SRO) may be present to provide safety, but the SRO is not to conduct the administrative search. Board members raised a scenario in which a dismissed student on campus did not understand they were subject to a search and urged clearer communication that administrative searches can apply to students on campus before or after class and during extracurricular activities.
Miss Grabowski and others urged that the policy be accompanied by a regulation outlining consistent entry protocols and visitor sign-in procedures (Raptor system) across all schools; staff agreed to draft regulations and to follow up on schools not using the required visitor system. Legal counsel and administration discussed the legal difference between "shall" and "should" in policy language; staff said legal review guided some uses of "should" to avoid creating unintended ministerial duties that could increase liability while promising enforcement and follow-up where required.
On emergency drills, staff confirmed preplanned parent-notification language and said reminders will be sent to schools to ensure consistent advance notice for drills. The board did not adopt final changes on Nov. 5; many edits will return for a second read in December.
