This handbook provides an overview of legal issues pertaining to the safety of public schools. Following the introduction, chapter 2 describes the governance model and philosophy on which American education is based. Court decisions and federal and state legislation that mandate the right to a safe school are discussed in chapter 3. The fourth chapter offers guidelines for the constitutional adoption of school policy. Chapters 5-9 address the following issues: search and seizure, student discipline, regulation of specific conduct, gangs, and drugs. The concluding chapter contains suggestions for policy language on violence, a sample policy for weapons and metal detectors, and a synopsis of the Anti-Crime Bill's relevance to juveniles and schools. (LMI)