What limitation can schools impose on student free speech according to Tinker v. Des Moines?

The significance of the ruling in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District centers around the notion that students do not lose their freedom of speech rights at the schoolhouse gate, but these rights are not absolute. The key limitation established by this landmark case is that schools can regulate student speech if it is deemed to disrupt the educational process or the functioning of the school.

In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that the students’ symbolic speech, which involved wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War, was protected under the First Amendment. However, the Court differentiated this form of expression from speech that poses a risk of material disruption. Therefore, the correct answer articulates that speech in schools can be limited if it causes or is likely to cause substantial disruption to the educational environment, reflecting a balance between student expression and the school's responsibility to maintain order and discipline.