The Board shall develop a technology plan that effectively uses electronic communication to advance and promote learning and teaching. This system of technology shall be used to provide local, statewide, national and global communications opportunities for staff and students. Educational technology shall be infused into the district curriculum to maximize student achievement of the Core Curriculum Content Standards. 

To support its commitment to providing avenues of access to the universe of information available, the district’s system of electronic communication shall include access to the Internet for students and staff.

Limitation of Liability

The Internet constitutes an unregulated collection of resources that changes constantly, so it is not possible to totally predict or control the resources that users may locate. The Board cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information or the appropriateness of materials that a user may encounter. Furthermore, the Board shall not be responsible for any damage users may suffer, including but not limited to, loss of data or interruptions of service. Nor shall the Board be responsible for financial obligations arising through the unauthorized use of the system.

District Rights and Responsibilities

The computer system is the property of the district, and all computer software and hardware belong to it. Therefore, the district retains the right to monitor all access to and use of the Internet. 

The Board designates the Chief School Administrator as the coordinator of the district system. He/she shall recommend to the Board of Education qualified staff persons to ensure provision of individual and class accounts necessary for access to the Internet, designation of quotas for disk usage on the system, establishment of a document retention schedule, establishment of a virus protection process and coordination of other activities as required to maintain the system. 

Each administrator shall coordinate the district system in his/her building by approving all activities for that building; ensuring that teachers receive proper training in the use of the system; ensuring that students are adequately supervised when using the system; maintaining executed user agreements; and interpreting this acceptable use policy at the building level.

Access to the System

This acceptable use policy shall govern all use of the system. Sanctions for student misuse of the system shall be included in the disciplinary code for students.  Employee misuse may result in appropriate discipline in accord with the collective bargaining agreement and applicable laws and regulations. 

The Board shall ensure the acquisition and installation of blocking/filtering software to deny access to certain areas of the Internet. 

World Wide Web

All students and employees of the Board shall have access to the Web through the district’s networked or stand alone computers. An agreement shall be required. To deny a child access, parents/guardians must notify the Chief School Administrator in writing. 

Student Safety Practices

Students shall not post personal contact information about themselves or others. Nor shall students engage in any kind of personal contact with individuals they meet online. Attempts at contact from such individuals shall be reported immediately to the staff person monitoring that child’s access to the Internet. Personal contact information includes but is not limited to names, home/school/work addresses, telephone numbers, or personal photographs. 

Cyber-bullying

The Board of Education expressly forbids cyber-bullying. For the purposes of this policy, “cyber-bullying” shall mean using the communication capacities of computers, the Internet and/or other digital communication devices to bully others by:

• Sending or posting cruel messages or images;

• Threatening others;

• Excluding or attempting to exclude others from activities or organizations;

• Starting or passing on rumors about others or the school system;

• Harassing or intimidating others;

• Sending angry, rude or vulgar messages directed at a person or persons privately or to an online group;

• Sending or posting harmful, untrue or cruel statements about a person to others;

• Pretending to be someone else and sending or posting material that makes that person look bad or places that person in potential danger;

• Sending or posting material about a person that contains sensitive, private or embarrassing information, including forwarding private messages or images; and/or,

• Engaging in tricks to solicit embarrassing information that is then made public.

Students found to be engaging in activities as describe above shall be subject to the terms and sanctions found in this policy, Board of Education Policy 5139 – Harassment, Intimidation & Bullying discipline code of the district. 

Students, staff and administration of the Hopewell School District have the opportunity to access the Internet to facilitate the need to prepare students, staff and administrators to become computer literate in an increasingly technological world, to foster educational and personal growth in technology, information gathering, and communication skills.  It is understood that the Hopewell School District does not have sufficient staff to monitor every aspect of the use of the Internet.  However, the district will foster the independent use of the school’s network, subject to compliance with procedures and standards for appropriate network behavior and communication.  The following responsible guidelines apply to all users when accessing any Hopewell School District network connection (NET):

1. It is understood that cooperation is critical in the use of the Internet.  It is the goal of the use of the Internet to prepare students to become computer literate in an increasingly technological world.  It is understood that a minor’s independent use of the school’s network is necessary to attain such a goal, subject to the procedures and standards for appropriate network behavior.
2. Violations of these responsible use guidelines may result in student discipline, subject to the Student Disciplinary Code, and/or staff and administrative discipline, subject to guidelines adopted by the administration. The primary use of the NET shall be reserved to those individuals who utilize the materials that are of “educational value” to students of the district.  For purposes of these guidelines, “educational value” shall mean those areas of network access that have a direct or indirect impact on the students’ educational program in the Hopewell School District. The use of the system for defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, and racially offensive, and illegal material or other prohibited activities shall not be permitted, and the Hopewell School District will use any and all means available to it, within the confines of the law to prevent such material from entering the NET.  Individuals are encouraged to report such entry of material into the system to the building administrator.
3. No personnel or student information that is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Acts shall be disseminated through the NET.
4. All users of the NET must comply with the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, as amended, and the Communications Decency Act.  These Acts prohibit the unauthorized interception or disclosure of e-mail messages by third parties as well as the appropriateness of certain material being remitted on the Internet.  The Acts do not permit interception or disclosure unless both the sender and the receiver of the communication consent.  Further, the Acts recognize that the School District may monitor an employee’s e-mail messages, as long as the interception devise is included in the e-mail equipment.
5. Users of the NET must recognize that the District Administration does have the authority to intercept e-mail messages of all users and that there will be no privacy right construed by the District to exist in the statements made in the NET.  Users of the NET are encouraged not to store extensive e-mail messages in the NET and that messages should be stored for a period of no longer than 14 calendar days.
6. When issued individual passwords and accounts, NET users may not allow any other person(s) to use or share those passwords and/or accounts.
7. Any attempt to circumvent system security, guess passwords, or in any way gain unauthorized access to local or NET resources is forbidden.
   
   Use of the Internet for political and/or commercial gain or profit is not allowed from and educational site.Users may not move, repair, reconfigure, modify or attach external devices to the system.
8. Additional rules and restrictions may be added and users will be notified of these changes in a timely manner.  Users are responsible for reading and following these rules.
9. Time restrictions on the use of the Internet may be imposed to ensure equity of use.
10. From time to time, the District will encourage students and employees to use certain informational sources in order to control Internet costs.  
11. The District Administration reserves the right to use electronic devices, cards, or any other media to determine whether or not the students or employees are using the NET for items of true educational value.
12. Professional employees of the school will monitor student use of the Internet.
13. Students or employees who violate the Internet guidelines of the school may be denied future Internet privileges for a defined period of time or other disciplinary measures set forth in the Student Code of Conduct or in any other rules of the District that may be applicable.