FILE: LDA

LOCAL GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

The Board, as an independent body, shall cooperate with other governing agencies, both educational and civic, to achieve the goal of all-governmental bodies, namely the best interests of the youth and the citizens of the community.

 While the Board will maintain complete autonomy at all times, it will work cooperatively with the agencies in the community.

Relations With Law Enforcement Agencies

Law enforcement agenies will be allowed to make periodic visits to local public schools to detect the presence of illegal drugs, unannounced to anyone except the local superintendent and building principal as mandated by Albama State Code.

It shall be the policy of the Board to fully cooperate with law enforcement agencies in the interest of the welfare of all citizens.  At the same time, schools have the responsibility to parents for the welfare of the students while they are in the care of the schools.  To carry out this responsibility, school officials shall observe the following:

• A student in school may not be interrogated by any law enforcement authority without the knowledge of the school official and without the presence of parents or guardians if such can be arranged within a reasonable period of time.
• Any such interrogation must be done in private with an official school representative present unless the interview is conducted by the Department of Human Resources (DHR) in connection with a child abuse investigation where the DHR representative requests that such interview be in private.
• A student may not be released into the custody of persons other than parent/legal guardian, unless placed under arrest by legal authority.
• If a student is removed from the school by legal authority, parents/guardian shall be notified of this action by school officials as soon as possible.

 ADOPTED:     August 13, 2002

                          Revision submitted October 11, 2005

 LEGAL REF:  Decatur City Board of Education et al. v. Dana J. Aycock as

                          Director of the Morgan County Department of Human Resources, et al. (1990)

                          Code of Alabama   290-3-1-.02(1)(b)(1)       

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