Acceptable Use Policy
January 30, 2015
PATTONSBURG R-II SCHOOL DISTRICT
NETWORK AND COMPUTING SYSTEMS POLICY
The Pattonsburg R-II School District is responsible for securing its network and computing systems in a reasonable and economically feasible degree against unauthorized access and/or abuse, while making them accessible for authorized and legitimate users. This responsibility includes informing users of expected standards of conduct and the punitive measures for not adhering to them.
ANY ATTEMPT TO VIOLATE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS POLICY WILL RESULT IN DISCLIPLINARY ACTION IN THE FORM OF TEMPORARY AND/OR PERMANENT REVOCATION OF USER ACCOUNTS, REGARDLESS OF THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF THE ATTEMPT. The Pattonsburg R-II School District reserves the right to amend this document at any time.
The users of the network are responsible for respecting and adhering to local, state, federal, and international laws. Authorized personnel have the right to access information on the network and computing system. Any attempt to break those laws through the use of the network may result in litigation against the offender by the proper authorities. Students as well as parents need to acknowledge that they can be the recipients of civil action for cyber libel. Students and parents can be reported to their Internet Service Provider to have their access disconnected. If such an event should occur, the Pattonsburg R-II School District will fully comply with the authorities to provide any information necessary for the litigation process.
GENERAL RULES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The following rules and responsibilities will be followed by all users of the district technology resources:
- Applying for a user ID under false pretenses is prohibited.
- Using another person’s user ID and/or password is prohibited.
- Sharing one’s user ID and/or password with any other person is prohibited. A user will be responsible for actions taken by any person using the ID or password assigned to the user.
- Deleting, examining, copying or modifying files and/or data belonging to other users without their prior consent is prohibited.
- Use of Commercial email (hotmail, yahoo etc.) by students is prohibited. Students may only access their email accounts before and after school.
- At no time is chatting or the use of any messaging service (i.e. MSN Messenger) permitted with the use of district technology.
- Changing the computer configuration and any school computer (including desktop appearance, screensavers, printer setup, hiding the task bar, etc.) by students is prohibited.
- Mass consumption of technology resources that inhibits use by others is prohibited.
- Unless authorized by the district, non-educational Internet usage is prohibited.
- Use of district technology for soliciting, advertising, fund-raising, commercial purposes or for financial gain is prohibited, unless authorized by the district.
- Accessing fee services without permission from an administrator is prohibited. A user who accesses such services without permission is solely responsible for all charges incurred.
- Users are required to obey all laws, including criminal, copyright, privacy, defamation and obscenity laws. The school district will render all reasonable assistance to local, state, or federal officials for the investigation and prosecution of persons using district technology in violation of any law.
- Accessing, viewing or disseminating information using district resources, including e-mail or Internet access, that is pornographic, obscene, child pornography, harmful to minors, obscene to minors, libelous, pervasively indecent or vulgar, or advertising any product or service not permitted to minors is prohibited.
- Accessing, viewing or disseminating information on any product or service not permitted to minors is prohibited unless under the direction and supervision of district staff for curriculum-related purposes.
- Accessing, viewing or disseminating information using school or district resources, including Internet access, that constitutes insulting or fighting words, the very expression of which injures or harasses other people (e.g., threats of violence, defamation of character or of a person’s race, religion or ethnic origin); presents a clear and present likelihood that, because of their content or their manner of distribution, they will cause a material and substantial disruption of the proper and orderly operation and discipline of the school or school activities; or will cause the commission of unlawful acts or the violation of lawful school regulations is prohibited.
- Any use that has the purpose or effect of discriminating or harassing any person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, pregnancy, or use of leave protected by the Family Medical Leave Act or the violation of any person’s rights under applicable laws is prohibited.
- Any unauthorized, deliberate or negligent action that damages or disrupts technology, alters its normal performance, or causes it to malfunction is prohibited, regardless of the location or the duration of the disruption.
- Copying software for home use is prohibited unless permitted by the district’s license, and approved by the district.
- At no time will district technology or software be removed from the district premises, unless authorized by the district.
- All users will use the district’s property as it was intended. Technology or technology hardware will not be lifted, moved or relocated without permission from an administrator. To check out equipment, there must be a signed permission form on file. All users will be held accountable for damage they cause to district technology resources.
- All damages incurred due to the misuse of the district’s technology will be charged to the user. The district will hold all users accountable for the damage incurred and will seek both criminal and civil remedies, as necessary.
TECHNOLOGY SECURITY AND UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS
All users shall immediately report any security problems or misuse of the district’s technology resources to a teacher or administrator. No person will be given access to district technology if he or she is considered a security risk by the superintendent or designee.
- Use of district technology resources in attempting to gain or gaining unauthorized access to any technology system or the files of another is prohibited.
- Use of district technology to connect to other systems, in evasion of the physical limitations of the remote system, is prohibited.
- The unauthorized copying of system files is prohibited.
- Intentional or negligent attempts, whether successful or unsuccessful, to interfere with the ability of others to utilize any district technology are prohibited.
- Any attempts to secure a higher level of privilege on the technology resources without authorization are prohibited.
- The introduction of computer “viruses,” “hacking” tools, or other disruptive/destructive programs into a school or district computer, the school network, or any external network is prohibited.
ONLINE SAFETY
- All students will be instructed on the dangers of sharing personal information about themselves or others over the Internet.
- Student users are prohibited from sharing personal information about themselves or others over the Internet, unless authorized by the district.
- Student users shall not agree to meet with someone they have met on-line without parental approval.
- A student user shall promptly disclose to his or her teacher or another school employee any site or message they come in contact with that is inappropriate or makes the user feel uncomfortable.
- Employees shall not transmit confidential student information using district technology, unless designated for that use. Employees will take precautions to prevent negligent disclosure of student information or student records.
- No curricular or non-curricular publication distributed using district technology will include the address, phone number or e-mail address of any student without permission.
