Final answer:
School administrators' searches do not need to meet the same search warrant and probable cause requirements that apply to police searches.
Step-by-step explanation:
SCOTUS has determined that school administrators' searches do not have to meet the search warrant and probable cause requirements that govern police searches. Instead, the standard for school officials to conduct searches is reasonable suspicion, which is a less stringent standard compared to probable cause. This was established in the landmark case of New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985), where the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable searches applies to schools, but officials can search students if there is reasonable suspicion to maintain safety and order in the school.
The case concerning the strip search of Savanna at Safford Middle School highlighted the boundaries of such searches. The Supreme Court found the strip search to be excessively intrusive given the specific circumstances, concluding that while a search of Savanna's belongings and pockets was justified, a strip search was not warranted as there was no reasonable suspicion that contraband was hidden in her undergarments. The ruling maintains students' expectation of privacy while balancing it against the need for school safety.