Jerome Joint School District No. 261

Student 3270P

Acceptable Use of Electronic Networks

All use of electronic networks shall be consistent with the District’s goal of promoting educational excellence by

facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication. These procedures do not attempt to state all

required or proscribed behaviors by users. However, some specific examples are provided. Failure of any user to

follow these procedures will result in the loss of privileges, disciplinary action, and/or appropriate legal action.

Terms and Conditions

1) Primarily for Educational Purposes: The District provides students with an electronic network to support

education and research and for the conduct of school business. Student personal use of computers that is

consistent with the District’s educational mission may be permitted during class when authorized by a

student’s teacher or appropriate administrator. Personal use of District computers and networks outside of

class is permissible, but must comply with District policy. Use is a privilege, not a right. Students have no

expectation of privacy in any materials that are stored, transmitted, or received via the District’s electronic

network or District computers. The District reserves the right to access, monitor, inspect, copy, review, and

store, at any time and without prior notice, any and all usage of the computer network and internet access

and any and all information transmitted or received in connection with such usage, including email and other

messages.

2) Privileges – the use of the District’s electronic network is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will

result in a cancellation of those privileges. Administrator or Technology Director will make all decisions

regarding whether or not a user has violated these procedures, and may deny, revoke or suspend access at any time. An appeal of such decisions may be made to the Superintendent within seven (7) days. Their decision is final.

3) Unacceptable Use – The user is responsible for . Their actions and activities involving the network. Some

examples of unacceptable uses are:

a) Using the network for any illegal activity, or to access websites encouraging illegal activity including

violation of copyright or other contracts or transmitting any material in violation of any U.S. or state law;

b) Accessing sites which allow or promote online gambling;

c) Accessing information pertaining to the manufacture of weapons or the promotion of illegal weapons;

d) Downloading the TikTok app or visiting the TikTok website;

e) Unauthorized downloading, installation, or copying of sofware, regardless of whether it is copyrighted or

checked for viruses.

f) Downloading copyrighted materials or trade secret information;

g) Wastefully using resources, such as file space, or a printer, etc;

h) Hacking or gaining unauthorized access to files, resources or entities; uploading a worm, virus, or other

harmful form of programming;

i) Uploading a worm, virus, or other harmful form of programming and other uses that jeopardize the

security of the network;

j) Invading the privacy of individuals, which includes the unauthorized disclosure, dissemination and use of

information of a personal nature about anyone;

k) Using another user’s account or password or some other user identifier that misleads message recipients

into believing that someone other than you is communicating;

l) Posting material authored or created by another, or pictures of another person, or another person’s

private information or messages without his/her consent;

m) Posting anonyous messages or messages using a name other than one’s own;

n) Viewing, transmitting, downloading, accessing, submitting, posting, publishing, or displaying any

defamatory, inaccurate, abuse, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, racially offensive,

harassing, bullying, or illegal materials;

o) Accessing sites which promote violence or depict or describe graphic violence. This includes promotion of

self-harm;

p) Accessing sites which advocate discrimination or which promote intolerance.

q) Uses amounting to harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, or cyber-bullying;

r) Uses that cause harm to others or damage their property, person, or reputation, including but not limited

to engaging in defamation;

s) Promotion of political, personal, or religious causes in a way that presents such opinions as the view of

the District;

t) Disclosing identifying personal information or arranging to meet persons met on the internet or by

electronic communications;

u) Students are prohibited from joining chat rooms or using school equipment or school systems for any

such activity, unless it is a teacher-sponsored activity.

4) Network Etiquette – The user is expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette.

These include, but are not limited to, the following:

a) Be polite. Do not become abusive in messages to others.

b) Use appropriate language. Do not swear or use vulgarities or any other inappropriate language.

c) Do not reveal personal information, including the addresses or telephone numbers of students or staff.

d) Recognize that electronic mail (e-mail) is not private. People who operate the system have access to all

mail. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to the authorities.

e) Do not use the network in a way that would disrupt its use by other users.

5) Security: Network security is a high priority. If the user can identify a security problem on the Internet, the

user must notify the system administrator, Technology Director, or building principal. The user shall not

demonstrate the problem to other users. Users shall keep their account and passwords confidential. Users

shall not use another individual’s account. Attempts to log on to the internet as a system administrator will

result in cancellation of user privileges. Any user identified as a security risk may be denied access to the

network.

6) Telephone Charges – The district assumes no responsibility for any unauthorized charges or fees, including

telephone charges.

7) Copyright Web Publishing Rules – Copyright law and district policy prohibits the republishing of text or

graphics found on the web or on district websites or file servers without permission.

a) For each republication (on a website or file server) of a graphic or text file that was produced externally,

there must be a notice at the bottom of the page crediting the original producer and notice how and

when permission was granted. If possible, the notice should also include the web address of the original

source.

b) Student work may only be published if there is written permission from both the parent/guardian and the

student.

c) Violation of the copyright web publishing rules may result in denial of access to the network.

8) Use of Electronic Mail

a) The district’s electronic mail system, and its constituent software, hardware, and data files are owned and

controlled by the district. The district provides e-mail to aides, students in fulfilling their duties and

responsibilities and as an education tool.

b) Email could be subject to public records requests and disclosures depending upon the subject matter of

the contents of the email.

c) The district reserves the right to access and disclose the contents of any account on its system without

prior notice or permission from the account’s user. Unauthorized access by any student to an electronic

mail account is strictly prohibited.

d) Each person should use the same degree of care in drafting an electronic mail message as would be put

into a written memorandum or document. Nothing should be transmitted in an e-mail message that

would be inappropriate in a letter or memorandum.

e) Email sent from a District account carry with them an identification of the user’s internet domain. This

domain name identifies the author as being with the District. Great care should be taken, therefore, in the

composition of such messages and how such messages might reflect on the name and reputation of this

District. Users will be held personally responsible for the content of any and all emails transmitted to

external recipients.

f) Any message received from an unknown sender via the Internet should be treated with Downloading any

file attached to any Internet based message is prohibited until the user is certain of that message’s

authenticity and the nature of the file so transmitted.

g) Use of the District electronic mail system constitutes consent to these regulations.

Internet Safety

1) Internet access is limited to only those “acceptable uses” as detailed in these procedures. Internet safty is

almost assured if users will not engage in “unacceptable uses,” as detailed in District policy and procedures,

and will otherwise follow District policy and procedures.

2) Staff members shall supervise students while students are using District Internet access at school, to ensure

that the students abide by the Terms and Conditions for Internet Access, as contained in these procedures.

3) Each District computer with internet access shall be equipped with a filtering device that blocks materials that

are obscene, pornographic, or harmful or inappropriate for students as defined by the Children’s Internet

Protection Act and as determined by the Superintendent or designee. The filter may also block other materials

students are prohibited from accessing by District policy or procedure. The Superintendent or designee shall

enforce the use of such filtering devices. Students must use the District’s filtered network for all online

activities on school grounds or using District equipment. Such filter shall also block access to the TikTok

website. Measures shall also be undertaken to prevent the downloading of TikTok onto any District device or

via the District’s electronic network.

4) The system administrator, Technology Director and/or building principals shall monitor student internet

access.

Student Use of Social Media

Students will be held accountable for the content of the communications that they post on social media locations

and are responsible for complying with District policy and procedures for content posted using a District computer,

network, or software and/or when posted during school hours when the student is in attendance at school.

Student posts on social media locations outside of school hours and school grounds using a personal computer,

network, and software shall be private as long as they do not enter into the educational setting and interfere with

the orderly operation of the school. Posts to social network sites using a District computer, network, or software

may be subject to public records requests. Students may not disrupt the learning atmosphere, educational

programs, school activities, and/or the rights of others.

All of the requirements and prohibitions in District policy and procedure apply to the use of social media on school

grounds, through the District network or using District equipment, or as part of a class assignment.

Legal Reference: Children’s Internet Protection Act, P.L. 106-55420 U.S.C § 6801,

et seq 47 U.S.C. § 254(h) and (l)

Policy History:

Adopted on: 04/25/2009

Revised: 09/28/2010

Revised: 08/25/2015

Revised: 05/28/2024