ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICES AND NETWORKS

The School Board provides a computer system, including the Internet, to promote educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication. The term computer system includes but is not limited to, hardware, software, data, communication lines and devices, terminals, display devices, printers, CD, DVD, and other media devices, tape or flash drives, storage devices, servers, mainframe and personal computers, tablets, laptops, telephones, cameras, projectors, multimedia devices, workstations, the internet and other electronic services and internal or external networks. This includes any device connected to or used to connect to the school division’s network or electronically stored division material.

All use of the division’s computer system must be (1) in support of education and/or research, or (2) for legitimate school business. The use of the computer system is a privilege, not a right. Inappropriate use may result in cancellation of those privileges, disciplinary action, and/or legal action. Any communication or material generated using the computer system, including electronic mail, social media posts, instant or text messages, tweets, and other files, including communications and materials deleted from a user’s account, may be monitored, read, and/or archived by division staff.

This policy applies to all users of the division’s computer system. By using or accessing the computer system, the user agrees to abide by this policy and the Technology Guidelines established by the superintendent.

The superintendent is responsible for establishing Technology Use Guidelines, containing the appropriate uses, ethics and protocols for use of the computer system. The superintendent is also responsible for reviewing and updating, as necessary, the Guidelines at least every two years. It is the user’s responsibility to know and follow this policy and the Technology Use Guidelines.

The Guidelines include:

1. A prohibition against use by division employees and students of the division’s computer equipment and communications services for sending, receiving, viewing or downloading illegal material via the internet;

2. Provisions, including the selection and operation of a technology protection measure for the division’s computers having internet access to filter or block Internet access through such computers, that seek to prevent access to: a. child pornography as set out in Va. Code § 18.2-374.1:1 or as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2256; b. obscenity as defined by Va. Code § 18.2-372 or 18 U.S.C. § 1460; and c. material that the school division deems to be harmful to juveniles as defined in Va. Code § 18.2-390, material that is harmful to minors as defined in 47 U.S.C. § 254(h)(7)(G), and material that is otherwise inappropriate for minors;

3. Provisions establishing that the technology protection measure is enforced during any use of the division’s computers;

4. Provisions establishing that all usage of the computer system may be monitored;

5. Provisions designed to educate students and employees about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with students and other individuals on social networking websites, blogs, in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response’

6. Provisions designed to prevent unauthorized online access by minors, including “hacking” and other unlawful online activities.;

7. Provisions requiring every user to protect the security of information necessary to access the computer system, such as usernames and passwords, and prohibiting the sharing of passwords.

8. Provisions prohibiting the unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of photographs and/or personal information of or regarding minors; and 9. a component of internet safety for students that is integrated into the division’s instructional program.

Use of the school division’s computer system must be consistent with the educational or instructional mission or administrative function of the division as well as the varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels of students.

The division’s computer system is not a public forum.

Users of the division’s computer system have no expectation of privacy for use of the division’s resources or electronic devices including non-division-owned devices while connected to division networks or computer resources.

Software and/or services may not be installed or downloaded on the division’s computer system without the prior approval of the superintendent or superintendent’s designee.

The failure of any user to follow the terms of the Agreement, this policy, or the Technology Use Guidelines may result in the loss of computer system privileges, disciplinary action, and/or appropriate legal action.

The School Board is not responsible for any information that may be lost, damaged, or unavailable when using the computer system or for any information retrieved via the Internet. Furthermore, the School Board is not responsible for any unauthorized charges or fees resulting from access to the computer system.

The School Board reviews and amends, if necessary, this policy every two years.