LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Tuesday, the Lee County School Board wrapped up its second briefing on the potential code of conduct policy change that would allow teachers and staff to search students' cellphones without a warrant.
Board members say the change could help cut down on the number of drug deals taking place in Lee County schools.
“It could be a drug deal that is going down at that particular moment and any evidence in the drug deal may be in gone by the time you did that," said Board Chair Armor Persons.
The board is specifically hoping to change the language of Section 4.03 of the Lee County School District's code of conduct, which outlines procedures for search and seizure. The change would make cellphones and other electronic devices subject to search without a warrant.
“We have had a few students that have been caught with the drug possessions on them, and that’s been in past years also," said Chair Persons.
According to the Florida Department of Education, in 2022 Lee County reported 671 drug use and possession incidents. To put that number into perspective, Orange County — with a population nearly double that of Lee County — reported 696 incidents in the same year, just 25 more than Lee.
Persons hopes this policy will help lower those numbers.
He added that a search will only happen if the board believes there is enough suspicious activity.
“We have to have reasonable suspicion," he said. "It’s not going to be a search for no reason.”
The board is expected to vote on the policy later this month, and hopes to implement it in schools by August 9.
