The Board supports reasonable access to various information formats and believes it is incumbent upon students, employees, and community members to utilize this privilege in an appropriate and responsible manner.

This policy outlines both the privileges and the responsibilities associated with the use of the Harrison County Schools’ network and its resources. It addresses ethical and educational uses of electronic media, including, but not limited to, the Internet, email, and other technological resources. It also addresses issues of privacy versus administrative review of electronic files and communications. The policy prohibits use of networks for illegal activities, the intentional spreading of embedded messages, or the use of other programs with the potential of damaging or destroying programs or data.

For additional information see school board policies for students, and certified and classified employees, regarding use of school property, disrupting the educational process, and conduct.

School officials shall apply the same criterion of educational suitability used to review other educational resources when questions arise concerning access to specific databases or other electronic media.

Harrison County Schools will not be responsible for any damages not limited to loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, missed deliveries, or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or user errors or omissions.

Accounts are to be used in support of education and research that is consistent with the educational objectives of the Harrison County Schools. Examples of acceptable use include but are not limited to protecting yourself and others by not revealing personal information that could lead a stranger to you or another person. (i.e. name, address, telephone, workplace, etc.) Users should notify a Principal or Chief Information Officer (CIO) of any policy violations or security breeches. This can be done anonymously.

Specific expectations for appropriate Internet use shall be reflected in the District’s code of acceptable behavior and discipline, including appropriate orientation for staff and students.

Students shall be provided instruction about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking sites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response.

Guidelines for unacceptable use shall prohibit utilization of networks for prohibited or illegal activities, the intentional spreading of embedded messages, or the use of other programs with the potential of damaging or destroying programs or data. Unacceptable use of technology includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Sharing your password;
• Using or altering anyone else’s password;
• Allowing someone to access any area of your account;
• Accessing any computer or network for which you are unauthorized;
• Creating or sharing computer viruses;
• Destroying another person’s data;
• Monopolizing the network resources by running large programs and applications over the network during the day and/or sending massive amounts of email to other users, or using system resources for games;
• Vandalizing network resources; Vandalism is defined as any attempt to harm or destroy equipment, data, operating systems or applications, our network, or any other networks.
• Playing games with no educational purpose over the network;
• Taking from or placing on the network, any copyrighted material including copyrighted movies and music without authorization from the CIO;
• Distributing or collecting obscene, abusive, discriminatory or threatening material via telephone, video, email, internet or other means;
• Demonstrating or discussing policy violations or security breeches with someone other than a Principal or CIO;
• Annoying other users with things such as talk requests and chain letters;
• Conducting any illegal activity via the network; Known illegal activity will be reported to the authorities;
• Sending harassing or abusive email messages to others;
• Using vulgar or inappropriate language;
• Using network resources for personal profit; and
• Using technology resources for commercial, political, or profit-making enterprise except as specifically agreed to with the District.

Access to electronic information resources may range from read-only access to instructional software to full search capability of the Internet and to email. For these reasons the Harrison County Schools maintain the right to limit access to software and/or documents found either on our network or the Internet via technical or human barriers.

Employees are encouraged to use electronic mail and other District technology resources to promote student learning and communication with the home and education-related entities. If those resources are used, they shall be used for purposes directly related to work-related activities.

Technology-based materials, activities and communication tools shall be appropriate for and within the range of the knowledge, understanding, age and maturity of students with whom they are used.

District employees and activity sponsors may set up blogs and other social networking accounts using District resources and following District guidelines to promote communications with students, parents, and the community concerning school-related activities and for the purpose of supplementing classroom instruction.

Networking, communication, Live@edu and other options offering instructional benefits may be used for the purpose of supplementing classroom instruction and to promote communications with students and parents concerning school-related activities.

In order for District employees and activity sponsors to utilize a social networking site for instructional, administrative or other work-related communication purposes, they shall comply with the following:

1. Monitoring and managing the site to promote safe and acceptable use; and
2. Observing confidentiality restrictions concerning release of student information under state and federal law.

Upon signing a contract, a private login and password will be assigned to each user. The user is responsible for any activity performed under that login and password and therefore, passwords must be kept private.

There will be no access to the network, email, or the Internet without the use of a login and password and those will only exist for those persons with a signed contract.

The Harrison County Schools reserve the right to ask authorized personnel to access any user folder and/or email account of any user at any time. Users are advised not to place confidential documents in their user folder and never to use email for confidential communication. EMAIL is not private.

All Internet sites visited will be logged and reviewed for suitability of Internet use to assure compliance with the AUP and with state law. Internet access has been granted for educational and research purposes only.

Individuals who refuse to sign required acceptable use documents or who violate District rules governing the use of District technology shall be subject to loss or restriction of the privilege of using equipment, software, information access systems, or other technological resources.

Employees and students shall be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination (employees) and expulsion (students) for violating this policy and acceptable use rules and regulations established by the school or District.

Any damaged, lost, stolen or vandalized District owned equipment shall be reported to the user’s immediate supervisor. Each incident shall be evaluated and dealt with on an individual basis. Students or staff members who deface a District web site or otherwise make unauthorized changes to a web site shall be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion and termination, as appropriate.

Any user who violates the terms and conditions of this Acceptable Use Policy will experience immediate degradation of services to “read only access”. Loss of privileges may continue for a period of up to one (1) calendar year, and/or other disciplinary actions may be enforced as per the discipline policy.

Authorized personnel may convert an account to “read only access” at any time as required. The CIO, in cooperation with the building administrator, must notify the user, and user’s parents in case of a minor, in writing within two weeks informing them of the reason for suspension or termination of an account.

Users (student, employees, or community members) whose accounts are denied, suspended or revoked do have the following rights:

1. To request (in writing) from the Chief Information Officer a written statement justifying the disciplinary actions.
2. To submit a written appeal to the Superintendent and a committee he/she shall designate. Pending the decision of this committee, a user can make a final appeal to the Board of Education. The decision of the Board of Education is final.

For more information please visit our on-line policy manual here.