SAN ANTONIO — The disciplinary update will start Jan. 6, 2025, and implemented at the district’s 22 middle and high school campuses. North East Independent School District ‘s Facebook page was flooded with concerns about whether these type of searches are lawful without a parent present. Aubrey Chancellor, executive director of communications for the district says – it is.
“Any search that we conduct will be legal," Chancellor said. "It will be lawful. It will be appropriate. Vaping is a significant problem for teenagers across this country. And it’s something that we deal with in our schools every single day.”
Chancellor says the district is seeing more students running away from administrators if they’re suspected of having something they’re not supposed to. This disciplinary update of a lawful search is intended to combat that.
“We expect that students comply with directives from our administrators and just because they run away, they shouldn’t be able to avoid consequence.”
Some Facebook users feel parents or guardians need to be present for these searches. The district says that’s not the case.
“Under certain circumstances, we do have a legal right to search students," Chancellor said. "It’s something that does take place.”
Chancellor says these searches occur regularly. She insists the district does not intend to make anyone feel uncomfortable.
“There has to be reasonable suspicion. For example, an administrator walks into a restroom and there are four students in a stall and there’s a puff of smoke coming form that stall and then those students run away, to avoid consequence that’s just not something we think is appropriate.”
The disciplinary update will start next year and implemented at the district’s 22 middle and high school campuses.