CCSD Pat Downs

   Have you noticed kids at school with weapons? CCSD (Clark County School District) has, and they are taking care of the issue by rummaging through the back packs of students by starting random searches. They have found 11 guns throughout CCSD since the start of the 2018-2019 school year.

  Random searches will start in all middle and high schools in the CCSD area and this can distract the kids and in turn affect their learning environment. A random search is going to a random classroom and searching the students backpacks. There will be a computer program that will select a random school then a random class on a certain day. The police or school district will then go and search. If there are any weapons found then the police will arrest the culprit.

   Amanda Cavey, a senior at PVHS said, “I see both sides but I lean against it because it could make students feel as if they could be doing something wrong even if they know they aren’t.” The pat downs can be an deciding factor that can cause kids to miss school as they may feel unsafe.

   However, this is only going to be implemented at Cheyenne High School as of right now. Another addition to the random searches is that they are now adding metal detectors, there are being funded by an anonymous business donor. This is to eliminate weapons going into schools.

  There will also be searches as students walk through the door. It will be systematic, but random number of students will be pulled aside to be searched like the airport. It is unknown how it will affect the learning environment as a whole.

  Cavey added, “I feel like it has a negative impact because the kids who cause issues may just get better at hiding things and other kids will probably try to fight it by means that are either too blindly vociferous and/or in a manner that’ll make our state and school system look even worse.” The searches may cause fights at the school making it an unsafe learning environment, and this may result in a higher dropout rates due to the kids not going to school anymore.

   The searches were prolonged from the finding of just a few weapons because it was unknown how the searches were going to be accomplished. It took a couple of weeks for the school district to figure it out and they now have the solution. There is a program that is going to put a system into place to keep the students of CCSD safe.

  The program for the searches only has middle and high schools, not elementary schools. It can be implied that elementary school children are less likely to bring weapons to school, this may cause mixed feelings within the parents.

  As a country, there are laws stating how far the police can go with searching through private property. However, if there is a reasonable suspicion, then they have the right to search through the private property. The police are not going against laws because they have the right to search students. Students, apparently, have no 4th amendment right–the right to be secure in your person and papers.

  Students and their parents may find this as reason to protest against the school board and district as a whole. Students may refuse and get themselves in trouble or if everyone cooperates then the searches may stop.

  Cavey added, “If or when people try to fight against the school or the district I hope they know what they’re fighting for and by what means would those goals be the most attainable.” Some people may protest while not knowing what is right within safety protocols and may not be the most knowledgeable. The best course of action would be going to the school board and asking their questions in a peaceful manner. The school district could also send notices home to comfort families in their times of doubt, if the district has not already.

  How the students react is how the future of the searches is going to be impacted. If there are no weapons found the searches may stop altogether, but if students refuse and revolt then the searches may continue. The future is unknown but can be shaped by the students of CCSD. If the issue carries over to Nye County, we may pick up the same system because NCSD typically follows the CCSD rules and policies.