As early as next school year Hawai'i public school students may be subjected to locker searches and drug-sniffing dogs, as the Board of Education is expected to vote today to send the controversial proposal to Gov. Linda Lingle for her signature. That would set into motion an expected monthslong public hearing process.

"It's highly unlikely that we will see dog searches or locker searches this school year," said Karen Knudsen, BOE first vice chairwoman.

Board members already have approved sweeping changes to Chapter 19 — the state law governing student conduct and discipline — including the addition of student locker searches "with or without reason or cause," new rules against cyberbullying and a drug-sniffing dog program.

The majority of members are expected to vote tonight to start the next step: a monthslong schedule of public hearings in school communities across the state, said board Chairwoman Donna Ikeda.

Depending on how long the public hearing process takes, locker searches could begin in the 2008-09 school year. But questions remain about how soon a drug-sniffing dog program could begin.

The governor did not include in her budget $300,000 to implement the drug-sniffing dog program, which initially was piloted at three Maui schools last year. Without the money the program likely will remain on the back burner, said board member Mary Cochran.

"This program is now up to the Legislature, whether or not they want to fund this thing," Cochran said. "If the Legislature gives us the money, it's a go."

Cochran said the pilot drug-sniffing dog program in schools on Maui last year was a "huge success." She pointed toward reports in January that showed drug confiscations up at Lahainaluna High School after the drug-sniffing dog program ended.

Lahainaluna, one of the schools that participated in the drug-sniffing dog pilot program, reported 19 drug confiscations last year after the program expired. That was up from only two confiscations the previous year.

ACLU Hawai'i has expressed staunch opposition to the proposal, arguing the rules would be an undue intrusion on student privacy.

"We are concerned that these changes to Chapter 19 may erode students' rights, however, and we are monitoring this issue very closely," said Daniel Gluck, staff attorney with the ACLU.

In November, board members voted 11-1 to allow locker searches "with or without reason or cause" and to allow drug-sniffing dogs on campus. The lone "no" vote was cast by board member Kim Coco Iwamoto.

Ikeda said public hearings will allow people to voice their opinions about the changes, which have generated heated opposition from UH legal experts, the ACLU, some students, some school administrators and community members.

"I know ACLU and many others have been actively opposed, especially with (locker searches). So there will be a lot of interest in these meetings," Ikeda said.

However, before members of the public are able to weigh in, the revisions to Chapter 19 will have to be sent to Lingle for her preliminary signature, Knudsen said.

From there, the board will schedule a series of meetings in campus cafeterias and libraries in school districts across the state, she said. The earliest those meetings could begin is April or May.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.