Stevensville School District                                                                                                         

STUDENTS

District-Provided Access to Electronic Information, Services, and Networks

General

The District makes Internet access and interconnected computer systems available to District students and faculty.  The District provides electronic networks, including access to the Internet, as part its instructional program and to promote educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication.

The District expects all students to take responsibility for appropriate and lawful use of this access, including good behavior on-line.  The District may withdraw student access to its network and to the Internet when any misuse occurs.  District teachers and other staff will make reasonable efforts to supervise use of network and Internet access; however, student cooperation is vital in exercising and promoting responsible use of this access.

Curriculum

Use of District electronic networks will be consistent with the curriculum adopted by the District, as well as with varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels of students, and will comply with selection criteria for instructional materials and library materials. Staff members may use the Internet throughout the curriculum, consistent with the District’s educational goals.

The District’s electronic network is part of the curriculum and is not a public forum for general use.

Acceptable Uses

  1. Educational Purposes Only. All use of the District’s electronic network must be:  (1) in support of education and/or research, and in furtherance of the District’s stated educational goals; or (2) for a legitimate school business purpose.  Use is a privilege, not a right.  Students and staff members 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 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.
  2. Unacceptable Uses of Network. The following are considered unacceptable uses and constitute a violation of this policy:
    1. Uses that violate the law or encourage others to violate the law, including but not limited to transmitting offensive or harassing messages; offering for sale or use any substance the possession or use of which is prohibited by the District’s student discipline policy; viewing, transmitting, or downloading pornographic materials or materials that encourage others to violate the law; intruding into the networks or computers of others; and downloading or transmitting confidential, trade secret information, or copyrighted materials.
    2. Uses that cause harm to others or damage to their property, including but not limited to engaging in defamation (harming another’s reputation by lies); employing another’s password or some other user identifier that misleads message recipients into believing that someone other than you is communicating, or otherwise using his/her access to the network or the Internet; uploading a worm, virus, other harmful form of programming or vandalism; participating in “hacking” activities or any form of unauthorized access to other computers, networks, or other information.
    3. Uses that jeopardize the security of student access and of the computer network or other networks on the Internet.
    4. Uses that are commercial transactions. Students and other users may not sell or buy anything over the Internet.  Students and others should not give information to others, including credit card numbers and social security numbers.

Warranties/Indemnification

The District makes no warranties of any kind, express or implied, in connection with its provision of access to and use of  its computer networks and the Internet provided under this policy.  The District is not responsible for any information that may be lost, damaged, or unavailable when using the network or for any information that is retrieved or transmitted via the Internet.  The District will not be responsible for any unauthorized charges or fees resulting from access to the Internet.  Any user is fully responsible to the District and will indemnify and hold the District, its trustees, administrators, teachers, and staff harmless from any and all loss, costs, claims, or damages resulting from such user’s access to its computer network and the Internet, including but not limited to any fees or charges incurred through purchase of goods or services by a user.  The District expects a user or, if a user is a minor, a user’s parents or legal guardian to cooperate with the District in the event of its initiating an investigation of a user’s use of access to its computer network and the Internet.

Violations

If a student violates this policy, the District will deny the student access or will withdraw access and may subject the student to additional disciplinary action.  An administrator or building principal will make all decisions regarding whether or not a user has violated this policy and any related rules or regulations and may deny, revoke, or suspend access at any time, with that decision being final.

Policy History:
Adopted on: February 12, 2002
Reviewed on: July 10, 2012