Do school officials need a warrant or probable cause prior to conducting a search?
Schools have a substantial interest in maintaining security and order in the classroom and on school grounds. The Court has determined that this interest justifies a more flexible standard of reasonableness for searches of students that are conducted by school officials as opposed to law enforcement officers. Thus, the court has held that school officials, unlike the police, do not need to obtain a warrant prior to conducting a search. Nor do they need probable cause to believe that a violation of the law has occurred. “The constitutional rights of students in public school are not automatically coextensive with the rights of adults in other settings.
