Legal guidelines to help public school administrators make informed choices in situations that may require student searches are provided in this paper. The constitutional basis of the issue is first discussed, noting that school officials are not required to obtain a search warrant or to have probable cause. A review of Supreme Court decisions that demonstrate the two-part test for reasonable search--reasonable suspicion and the scope of search--is presented next. Specific issues that are addressed include searches based on hunches, group searches, informing parties, student consent, locations, police involvement, drug testing, and liability. A conclusion is that the Supreme Court has granted school districts much flexibility in maintaining discipline; however, administrators are cautioned to meet Fourth Amendment guidelines and to ensure fulfillment of the two-part test. Tips for conducting a successful student search are provided. (LMI)