Jt. Jerome School District No. 261

PERSONNEL 5325

Employee Use of Social Media Sites, Including Personal Sites

The Board recognizes that new technologies, such as social media, have shifted the ways that information may be

accessed, communicated and transferred; and, as such, can alter instruction and student learning. These new

technologies can alter the information landscape for schools by opening the classrooms to a broader array of

resources.

Because of the unique nature of social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and because of the District’s

desire to protect its interest with regard to its electronic records, the following rules have been established to

address social media site usage by all employees:

Protect Confidential and Proprietary Information

Employees shall not post confidential or proprietary information about the District, its employees, students, agents

or others. The employee shall adhere to all applicable privacy and confidentiality policies adopted by the District

or as provided by state of federal law.

Do Not Use District Name, Logos, or Images

Employees shall not use the District logos, images, iconography, etc. on personal social media sites. Nor shall

employees use the District name to promote a product, cause or political party or political candidate. Nor shall

employees use personal images of students, or names or data relating to students, absent written authority of the

parent of a minor or authority of an adult or emancipated student.

Respect District Time and Property

Limited Use of Social Media on District Equipment Permitted. Employees will use e-mail and social media for

personal purposes only during non-work times, such as during lunch or before or after school. Employees are

prohibited from downloading the TikTok app or visiting the TikTok website on any District device or using internet

access provided by the District. Any use of permissible social media sites must occur during times and places that

the use will not interfere with job duties, negatively impact job performance, or otherwise be disruptive to the

school environment or its operation

On Personal Sites

If you identify yourself as a District employee online, it should be clear that the views expressed, posted or

published are personal views, not necessarily those of the District, its Board, employees, or agents.

Opinions expressed by staff on a social networking website have the potential to be disseminated far beyond the

speaker’s desire or intention, and could undermine the public perception of fitness of the individual to educate

students, and thus undermine teaching effectiveness. In this way, the effect of the expression and publication of

such opinions could potentially lead to disciplinary action being taken against the staff member, up to and

including termination or nonrenewal of the contract of employment

Keep Personal and Professional Accounts Separate

Staff members who decide to engage in professional social media activities will maintain separate professional and

personal email addresses. Staff members will not use their District email address for personal social media

activities. Use of District email for this purpose is prohibited and will be considered a violation of District policy

that may result in disciplinary action.

Contact with Students

Although it is desired that staff members have a sincere interest in students as individuals, partiality and the

appearance of impropriety must be avoided. Pursuant to the Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators,

individuals shall maintain a professional relationship with all students, both inside and outside of the classroom.

Excessive informal and/or social involvement with students is therefore prohibited. This includes:

• Listing current students as “friends” on personal social networking sites wherein personal information is

shared or available for review which results in the certificated professional employee not maintaining the

Code of Ethics requiring professional relationships with students both inside and outside the classroom;

• Contacting students through electronic means other than the District’s email and telephone system;

• Coaches electronically contacting a team member or members without including all team members in the

communication;

• Giving private cell phone or home phone numbers to students without prior approval of the District;

• Inappropriate contact of any kind including via electronic media.

Nothing in this policy prohibits District staff and students from the use of education websites and/or use of social

networking websites created for curricular, co-curricular, or extracurricular purposes where the professional

relationship is maintained with the student.

Failure to maintain a professional relationship with students, both inside and outside of a classroom setting,

including interaction via social networking websites of any nature (professional or private), e-mailing, texting, or

any other electronic methods will result in the required reporting of such conduct to the Professional Standards

Commission by the District’s Administration.

Rules Concerning District-Sponsored Social Media Activity

If an employee wishes to use Facebook, Twitter, or other similar social media sites to communicate meetings,

activities, games, responsibilities, announcements etc., for a school-based club or a school-based activity or an

official school-based organization, the employee must also comply with the following rules:

• The employee must set up the club, etc. as a group list which will be “closed and moderated.”

• The employee must set up mechanisms for delivering information to students that are not members of the

group via non-electronic means.

• Members will not be established as “friends” but as members of the group list.

• Anyone who has access to the communications conveyed through the site may only gain access by the

permission of the employee (e.g. teacher, administrator, or supervisor). Persons desiring to access the page

may join only after the employee invites them and allows them to join.

• Parents shall be permitted to access any site that their child has been invited to join. Parents shall report

any communications they believe to be in appropriate by students or school personnel to District

Administration.

• Access to the site may only be permitted for educational purposes related to the club, activity, organization,

or team.

• The employee responsible for the site will monitor it regularly.

• The employee’s supervisor shall be permitted access to any site established by the employee for a school-

related purpose.

• Employees are required to maintain appropriate professional boundaries in the establishment and

maintenance of all such District-sponsored social media activity. This includes maintaining a separation

between the school activity pages and employees’ personal social media profiles and pages.

• Postings made to the site must comply with the District’s Employee Electronic and On-Line Services Usage

Policy.

• The Superintendent reserves the right to shut down or discontinue the group if he/she believes it is in the

best overall interest of the students.

Rules for Curricular Uses of Social Media

If an employee wishes to use Social Media for educational purposes, the following guidelines should be followed:

• Groups that are set up should be “moderated”

• If a website is used, the employee must set up mechanisms for delivering information via non-electronic

means

• Parents shall be permitted to access any site that their child has been invited to join. Parents shall report

any communications they believe to be in appropriate by students or school personnel to District

Administration

• Access may only be permitted for educational purposes related to the class.

• The site will be monitored regularly by the employee (teacher)

• The administrator shall be permitted access to any site established for school-related purposes

• Employees are required to maintain appropriate professional boundaries in the establishment and

maintenance of all such District-sponsored social media activity. This includes maintaining a separation

between the school activity pages and employees’ personal social media profiles and pages.

• Postings made to the site must comply with the District’s Employee Electronic and On-Line Services Usage

Policy.

• The Superintendent reserves the right to shut down or discontinue the group if he/she believes it is in the

best overall interest of the students.

Cross References: 5335 Employee Use of Electronic Communications Devices

3270P Acceptable Use of Electronic Networks

Legal Reference: IC § 18-6726 TikTok Use by State Employees on a State-Issued Device Prohibited

IDAPA 08.02.02.076 Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators

Idaho Executive Order 2022-06

Policy History:

Adopted on: 07/27/2010

Revised on: 09/23/2014

Revised on: 08/22/2023