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    The following section outlines district policies. These policies are in effect unless an emergency order is issued. When referencing hyperlinks, please note the four-digit policy number for the entire policy. An abbreviated version is summarized below for the purposes of the Instructional Continuity Plan. The full length of each respective policy is in full effect at the time of this publication. The district policies can be found in their entirety at: polkschoolsfl.com/policies.

     

    ATTENDANCE (5200)

    The educational program offered by this District is predicated upon the presence of the student and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation.  Attendance shall be required of all students enrolled in the schools during the days and hours that the school is in session.  Students between sixteen (16) and eighteen (18) years of age must regularly attend school and are subject to all required intervention and related enforcement procedures unless the parent and the student have formally terminated school enrollment by completing the Declaration of Intent to Terminate School Enrollment form and have participated in an exit interview.  School attendance shall be the responsibility of parents and students.  Absences shall be reported to the school attendance office by the parent or adult student as soon as practicable.

    In accordance with statute, the Superintendent shall require, from the parent of each student of compulsory school age or from an adult student who has been absent from school or from class for any reason, a statement of the cause for such absence.  The School Board reserves the right to verify such statements and to investigate the cause of each single absence.

    In addition, educators have the responsibility to encourage regular attendance of students, maintain accurate attendance records, and follow reporting procedures prescribed by the Superintendent.  Schools will record absent and tardy students in the automated student attendance recordkeeping system.

    Provision shall be made for promoting school attendance through adjustment of personal problems, education of parents, and enforcement of the compulsory attendance laws and related child-welfare legislation.  Accordingly:

    1. absences must be reported to the school by the parent or adult student as soon as practicable; Failure to report and explain the absence(s) shall result in unexcused absence(s). The final authority for determining acceptability of the reason for the absence(s) shall rest with the principal;
    2. teachers shall record absentees each period of the school day and report absences, excused and unexcused, as required by the school;
    3. insofar as possible, parents should be contacted each time their child has an unexcused absence, or an absence for which the reason is unknown, to prevent the development of patterns of nonattendance;
    4. when a student has at least five (5) unexcused absences or absences for which the reasons are unknown, within a calendar month, or ten (10) unexcused absences, or absences for which the reasons are unknown, within a ninety (90) calendar day period, the teacher shall report to the Principal that the child may be exhibiting a pattern of nonattendance. Unless there is clear evidence that the absences are not a pattern of nonattendance, the Principal will refer the case to the school’s child study team to determine if early patterns of truancy are developing.  If the child study team finds that a pattern of nonattendance is developing, a meeting with the parent must be scheduled to identify potential resolutions.  If the problem is not resolved, the child study team will implement interventions as provided in F.S. 1003.26.

    > Excused Absences

    The Board considers the following factors to be reasonable excuses for time missed at school:

    • Personal illness of the student (medical evidence will be required by the Principal for absences exceeding ten (10) days during the school year. After ten (10) parentally approved excused absences, a doctor’s verification will be required.  A Medical Documentation for Excessive Absences form will be used for documentation of a student’s ongoing treatment for a medical condition.
    • Court appearance of the student.
    • Medical appointment of the student.
    • Pregnancy related issues (see also Policy 5751).
    • An approved school activity (absences recorded but not reported).
    • Insurmountable conditions. Insurmountable conditions are extreme weather conditions, communicable disease outbreaks, and local conditions determined by the School District which, after taking into account the material circumstances, would render impracticable a student’s attendance at school.  (F.A.C. 6A-1.09513)
    • Other absences with prior approval of the Principal.
    • Attendance at a center under Children and Families Services supervision or the Department of Juvenile Justice supervision.
    • Significant community events with prior permission of the Principal.
    • Religious instruction or holiday.
    • Illness or death in the immediate family.
    • Trips with parents shall be prearranged and approved by the school administration. If such trips are not prearranged, the absences shall not be excused unless the trip was necessitated by an emergency.  The Principal will make the final determination.
    • Appointments for a therapy service provided by a licensed health care practitioner or behavior analyst certified pursuant to Florida law for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder including, but not limited to, applied behavioral analysis, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.

    Absences not included in excused absences listed above shall be unexcused.

    If the absences are excused, all educational requirements for the course shall be met before a passing grade and/or credit is assigned.

    > Make-Up for Absences

    For excused absences, the student shall have a reasonable amount of time, no fewer than the number of days absent plus two (2) to complete and hand in work for credit, to complete make-up work for excused absences.  Principals may grant extensions to the make-up time limit for extenuating circumstances.

    For unexcused absences, work missed during the student’s first three (3) days of unexcused absences during a semester is expected to be made up.  This includes absences caused by an out-of-school suspension.  The right of students to make up work on the fourth unexcused absence and all other days of unexcused absences per semester may be denied.

     

    GRADING – REPORTING STUDENT PROGRESS (5420)

    The School Board believes that the cooperation between school and home is an essential ingredient to the growth and education of the whole child. It recognizes its responsibility to keep parents informed of student progress in school.

    The Board recognizes its responsibility for providing a system of grading student achievement that can assist the students, teachers, and parents appropriately to determine how well the student is achieving the goals of the District’s education program.

    The Board believes the District’s grading system should be reliable and that each student’s grades accurately signify his/her degree of accomplishment of those expected learning outcomes that are to be stated for each program at every grade level, kindergarten through 12th grade.

    The Board directs the establishment of a system to notify parents of student progress which shall include early warning system notification, written reports, and/or parent conferences with teachers, and shall require all appropriate staff members to comply with such a system as part of their professional responsibility.

    The Superintendent, in conjunction with the Student Progression Plan (SPP) committee, shall develop guidelines and procedures for grading. Each teacher is required to follow the established guidelines and procedures and each principal is responsible for monitoring the compliance of each teacher in their school. (Elementary Reporting Guide; Secondary Reporting Guide)

    Additionally, the SPP committee will review procedures for reporting student progress that:

    1. provide that both student and parent receive warning or notification of a pending grade of “failure” or one that would adversely affect the student’s status excluding coursework provided outside the District;
    2. enable the scheduling of parent-teacher conferences at such times and in such places as will ensure the greatest degree of participation by parents;
    3. provide for a periodic review and improvement of methods of reporting student progress to parents.

    The Board requires that the District’s grading scale be consistent with State statute. Furthermore, the Board believes that each student’s grades should accurately reflect his/her degree of accomplishment of those expected learning outcomes that are stated for each program at every grade level, kindergarten through 12.

    > Grade Forgiveness

    To assist in meeting graduation requirements, students may take the following actions to improve their grades and their grade point average (GPA):

    1. High school students may replace a grade of “D” or “F”, or the equivalent of a grade of “D” or “F”:
      1. for required courses, with a grade of “C” or higher, or the equivalent of a grade of “C” or higher, earned subsequently in the same or comparable course; and
      2. for elective courses, with a grade of “C” or higher, or the equivalent of a grade of “C” or higher, earned subsequently in another course.
    2. Students in the middle grades (6-8) who take any high school course for high school credit may replace a grade of “C”, “D”, or “F”, or the equivalent of a grade of “C”, “D”, or “F”, with a grade of “C” or higher, or the equivalent of a grade of “C” or higher, earned subsequently in the same or comparable course.

    Only the new grade shall be used in the calculation of the student’s GPA. Any course grade not replaced according to this policy shall be included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA required for graduation.

    Student Workload

    Campus eSchool Learning will require the same workload as campus brick-and-mortar instruction. All instruction, regardless of option, will follow the established Polk County Public School’s curriculum maps. Please see the Student Progression Plan for more information: polkschoolsfl.com/studentprogressionplan.

     

    STUDENT PRIVACY AND SAFETY (8330)

    In order to provide appropriate educational services and programming, the School Board must collect, retain, and use information about individual students.  Simultaneously, the Board recognizes the need to safeguard students’ privacy and restrict access to students’ personally identifiable information. Please see hyperlink for full policy. Policy topics include but are not limited to: maintenance of student records, periodic review for elimination of outdated information in student records by the custodian or designees (F.S. 1001.52), limitations on collection and retention of certain information, access to student records, fee schedules: copies of records – transcripts – age verifications, court request of records, hearing procedure to correct student records, disclosure of student record information, maintenance of student records, court request of records, hearing procedure to correct student records, disclosure of student record information, directory information, transfer of student records, request for student Social Security Numbers at enrollment.

     

    SAFEKEEPING AND ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL RECORDS AND DATABASES (8310)

    The School Board recognizes its responsibility to maintain the public records of this District and to make such records available for inspection and reproduction. Please see hyperlink for full policy. Policy topics include but are not limited to: Exemptions from Public Records and Access to Public Records. All District records will be maintained in accordance with general records schedules GS1-SL and GS7, as established by the Department of State.

     

    EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION (ESE) (2460)

    The School Board, as an expression of its commitment to provide a free, appropriate, public education for students with disabilities in accordance with State and Federal laws, rules, and regulations, shall develop and implement The Polk School District Special Programs and Procedures for Exceptional Students. This document shall include at least the components listed below, shall provide administrative procedures for Exceptional Student Education Programs, and shall be revised when required by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), readopted, and submitted to the FLDOE.

     

    A. Child Identification
    The District will make ongoing efforts to identify, locate, and evaluate students below twenty-two (22) years of age, who reside within the District and have a confirmed or suspected disability in accordance with all Federal regulations and State standards.

     

    B. Procedural Safeguards
    A child with a disability and his/her parent shall be provided with safeguards, as required by law, throughout the identification, evaluation, and placement process, and the provision of a free, appropriate, public education to the student.

     

    C. Multifactored Evaluation
    A student may not be given special instruction or services as an exceptional student until after s/he has been properly evaluated and found eligible as an exceptional student in the manner prescribed by rules of the State Board of Education.

    The District will provide a comprehensive evaluation for students with disabilities by ensuring that:

    1. children are assessed in their native language or other mode of communication;
    2. tests are used for their validated purposes;
    3. children are evaluated in all areas related to their suspected disability;
    4. testing is conducted by a multidisciplinary team;
    5. testing materials and procedures are not racially or culturally biased;
    6. tests are administered by trained personnel qualified in accordance with all Federal regulations and State standards;
    7. tests are administered in conformance with the instructions provided by the producer;
    8. medical evaluation, when required as part of the comprehensive evaluation, shall be provided at no cost to the parent by a licensed physician designated by the Superintendent or his/her designee, when other no-cost resources are not available.

    The parent of an exceptional student evaluated and found eligible or ineligible shall be notified of each such evaluation and determination. Such notice shall contain a statement informing the parent that s/he is entitled to a due process hearing on the identification, evaluation, and eligibility determination or non-determination.

     

    D. Individualized Education Program (IEP)

    The District will develop an individualized education program (IEP) for each child with a disability who needs special education and related services. The IEP shall be designed to meet the unique educational needs of the child and shall be developed in meetings with the child’s designated IEP Team. At the initial meeting of a student’s IEP team, the District will provide parents with information about the amount of funding the District receives for each of the five (5) exceptional student education support levels for a full-time student.

    Parents of the child shall be strongly encouraged to participate in all planning conferences and IEP Team meetings. The school will provide written notice of an IEP meeting to the parent at least ten (10) days before the meeting, indicating the purpose, time, and location of the meeting and who, by title or position, will attend the meeting. The IEP Team meeting requirement may be waived by informed consent of the parent after the parent receives the written notice. The child’s IEP shall be reviewed and revised as often as necessary, but at least annually.

    The District will utilize FLDOE parental consent forms for the following actions in a student’s IEP:

    1. administer to the student an alternate assessment pursuant to F.S. 1008.22 and provide instruction in the State standards access points curriculum; and
    2. place the student in an exceptional student education center.

    Except for a disciplinary interim alternative placement for no more than forty-five (45) school days, if the District determines that there is a need to change a student’s IEP as it relates to the actions described above in 1 and 2, the school must hold an IEP Team meeting that includes the parent to discuss the reason for the change.

    The District will not implement the change without parental consent unless the District documents reasonable efforts to obtain the parent’s consent and the child’s parent has failed to respond, or the District obtains approval through a due process hearing.

    The child’s IEP shall be reviewed and revised as often as necessary, but at least annually.

    District personnel will collaborate with private instructional personnel who are hired or contracted by parents in compliance with F.S. 1003.572. “Private instructional personnel” include only the following:

    1. individuals certified under F.S. 393.17 or licensed under Chapter 490 or Chapter 491 for applied behavior analysis services as defined in F.S. 627.6686 and 641.31098;
    2. speech-language pathologists licensed under F.S. 468.1185;
    3. occupational therapists licensed under part III of 379 Chapter 468;
    4. physical therapists licensed under Chapter 486;
    5. psychologists licensed under Chapter 490; and
    6. clinical social workers licensed under Chapter 491.

    Private instructional personnel who are hired or contracted by parents to collaborate with public instructional personnel will be permitted to observe the student in the educational setting, collaborate with instructional personnel in the educational setting, and provide services in the educational setting only if the following requirements are met:

    1. the student’s public instructional personnel and principal consent to the time and place; and
    2. the private instructional personnel satisfy the requirements of F.S. 1012.32 or 1012.321.

     

    E. Least Restrictive Environment

    The education of students with disabilities will occur in the least restrictive environment; special education programs and services shall be appropriate and designed to meet the unique needs of each child with a disability; to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, shall be educated with children who do not have disabilities; special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment, shall occur only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

     

    F. Confidentiality of Data

    The confidentiality of personally-identifiable data relating to children with disabilities and their parents and families shall be protected at collection, storage, disclosure, and destruction; one official of this School District shall be assigned the responsibility for protecting the confidentiality of personally-identifiable data. The District follows all Federal regulations and State standards related to the confidentiality of data. (See Policy 8330 – Student Records)

     

    G. Due Process

    The District will use procedures that allow differences of opinion between parents and this District or between agencies and this District, to be aired and resolved. The procedures shall provide for case conferences and impartial hearings on the District’s proposal or refusal to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, eligibility, or educational placement of the child, or the provision of FAPE to the child.

    The impartial hearings shall be conducted by an administrative law judge (ALJ) from the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) and shall be considered final. However, any party who does not agree with the findings and decision in the due process hearing, including a hearing relating to disciplinary procedures, has the right to bring a civil action with respect to the matter that was the subject of the due process hearing. The action may be brought in a State court of competent jurisdiction or in a district court of the United States without regard to the amount in dispute. In the alternative, in hearings conducted on behalf of a student who is identified as gifted, any party aggrieved by the decision of the ALJ has the right to request a review of the order by the District Court of Appeal as provided in F.S. 120.68.

    During the pendency of a due process hearing or appellate proceeding regarding a due process complaint, the student shall remain in his/her current educational assignment, unless the parent and the Board otherwise agree.

     

    H. Surrogate Parent

    It shall be the policy of the District that whenever the parent or a person who acts in a parental role to a child with a disability or a child suspected of having a disability is determined to be legally unavailable, the child’s rights shall be protected through the assignment of a surrogate parent. A surrogate parent means an individual appointed by the Superintendent and/or the court to act in place of a parent in educational decision making and in safeguarding a child’s rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The surrogate parent shall not be an employee of the Department of Education, the School District, a community-based care provider, the Department of Children and Family Services, or any other public or private agency involved in the education or care of the child. The surrogate parent shall meet all statutory requirements and attend the required training to be appointed. The Superintendent shall appoint a surrogate not more than thirty (30) days after the District determines a particular student is in need of a surrogate.

     

    I. Testing Programs

    Students with disabilities shall participate in local and State-wide testing programs to the maximum extent appropriate. Individual exemptions shall be determined only during an IEP conference. Exceptional students with disabilities shall have access to testing sites.

    A student for whom the IEP Team determines that the Statewide, standardized assessment cannot accurately measure the student’s abilities, taking in to consideration all allowable accommodations, shall have the Statewide, standardized assessment requirement waived for the purpose of receiving a standard high school diploma if the student completes the minimum number of credits and other requirements for graduation, but does not earn a passing score on the Statewide, standardized assessment after one (1) opportunity in the 10th grade and one (1) opportunity in the 11th grade.

    Further, pursuant to State law, the IEP team may determine that end-of- course assessments cannot accurately measure the abilities of the student with disabilities and may, therefore, waive the use of the results of the end-of-course assessment for purposes of determining the student’s course grade and middle school promotion or award of high school credits.

    If the IEP Team determines that a student with a disability is prevented by a “circumstance” or “condition” as defined in F.S. 1008.212 from physically demonstrating the mastery of skills that have been acquired and are measured by the Statewide standardized assessment, a Statewide standardized end-of-course assessment, or an alternate assessment under F.S. 1008.22(3)(c), the IEP Team may submit to the superintendent a written request for an extraordinary exemption from the administration of the assessment, pursuant to F.S. 1008.212. The request may be made at any time during the school year, but not later than sixty (60) days before the assessment for which the request is made. The superintendent will recommend to the Commissioner of Education whether the request should be granted or denied, and the Commissioner will grant or deny the requested exemption within thirty (30) days. A copy of the District’s procedural safeguards as required in F.A.C. 6A-6.03311 shall be provided to the parent. If the parent disagrees with the IEP Team’s recommendation, the dispute resolution methods described in the procedural safeguards shall be made available to the parent.

    A parent who disagrees with the Commissioner’s denial of a requested extraordinary exemption may request an expedited hearing before DOAH pursuant to F.S. 1008.212.

     

    J. Right to be Accompanied at Meetings Pertaining to Students with Disabilities

    Parents of students with disabilities, or eligible students with disabilities, may be accompanied by another person of their choice at a meeting with District personnel. Such meetings include, but are not limited to, meetings related to the eligibility for exceptional student education or related services; the development of an individual family support plan (IFSP); the development of an individual education plan (IEP); the development of a 504 accommodation plan issued under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the transition of a student from early intervention services to other services; the development of postsecondary goals for a student with a disability and the transition services needed to reach those goals; and other issues that may affect the student’s educational environment, discipline, or placement of a student with a disability.

    District personnel will not object to the attendance of such adult or discourage or attempt to discourage through any action, statement, or other means, parents or an eligible student, from inviting another person of their choice to attend a meeting. Parents, eligible students, or other individuals invited to attend such meetings by parents of students with disabilities or eligible students with disabilities on school grounds shall sign-in at the front office of such school as a guest.

    Parents of students with disabilities, or eligible students with disabilities, and District personnel shall sign Form 5780 F1 at the meeting’s conclusion which states whether or not any District personnel have prohibited, discouraged or attempted discourage the parents, or eligible student, from inviting a person of their choice to the meeting pertaining to their child’s, or their own, educational environment, placement, or discipline.

     

    Placement by the Department of Children and Family Services

    After the Department of Children and Family Services provides written notification to the District that an exceptional student has been placed in a private residential care facility, the receiving school district shall, within ten (10) business days, review the student’s individual education plan (IEP) and shall:

    1. provide educational instruction to the student;
    2. contract with another provider to provide the educational instruction;
    3. contract with the private residential care facility in which the student resides to provide the educational instruction; or
    4. decline to provide or contract for educational instruction, in which case the school district in which the legal residence of the student is located shall provide or contract for the educational instruction of the student.

    The Superintendent shall administer the local implementation of these State procedures, in accordance with State and Federal laws, rules, and regulations, which shall ensure fulfillment of this policy.

     

    TECHNOLOGY USAGE AND DIGITAL ETIQUETTE (7540.03)

    Technology has fundamentally altered the ways in which information is accessed, communicated, and transferred in society.  As a result, educators are continually adapting their means and methods of instruction, and the way they approach student learning to incorporate the vast, diverse, and unique resources available through the Internet.  The School Board provides technology resources (as defined in Bylaw 0100) to support the educational and professional needs of its students and staff.  With respect to students, District technology resources afford them the opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge to learn effectively and live productively in a digital world.  The Board provides students with access to the Internet for limited educational purposes only and utilizes online educational services/apps to enhance the instruction delivered to its students.  The District’s computer network and Internet system do not serve as a public access service or a public forum and the Board imposes reasonable restrictions on its use consistent with its limited educational purpose.

    The Board regulates the use of District technology resources by principles consistent with applicable local, State, and Federal laws, the District’s educational mission and articulated expectations of student conduct as delineated in the Code of Student Conduct.  This policy and its related administrative procedures and the Code of Student Conduct govern students’ use of District technology resources and students’ personal communication devices when they are connected to the District computer network, Internet connection, and/or online educational services/apps or when used while the student is on Board-owned property or at a Board-sponsored activity (see Policy 5136).

    Users are required to refrain from actions that are illegal (such as libel, slander, vandalism, harassment, theft, plagiarism, inappropriate access, and the like) or unkind (such as personal attacks, invasion of privacy, injurious comment, and the like).  Because its technology resources are not unlimited, the Board has also instituted restrictions aimed at preserving these resources, such as placing limits on use of bandwidth, storage space, and printers.

    Users have no right or expectation to privacy when using District technology resources (including, but not limited to, privacy in the content of their personal files, e-mails, and records of their online activity when using the District’s computer network and/or Internet connection).

    First, the Board may not be able to technologically limit access, through its technology resources, to only those services and resources that have been authorized for the purpose of instruction, study, and research related to the curriculum.  Unlike in the past when educators and community members had the opportunity to review and screen materials to assess their appropriateness for supporting and enriching the curriculum according to adopted procedures and reasonable selection criteria (taking into account the varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels of the students who would be exposed to them), access to the Internet, because it serves as a gateway to any publicly available file server in the world, opens classrooms and students to electronic information resources that may not have been screened by educators for use by students of various ages.

    Pursuant to Federal law, the Board has implemented technology protection measures that protect against (e.g., filter or block) access to visual displays/depictions/materials that are obscene, constitute child pornography, and/or are harmful to minors, as defined by the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).  At the discretion of the Board or the Superintendent, the technology protection measures may be configured to protect against access to other material considered inappropriate for students to access.  The Board also utilizes software and/or hardware to monitor online activity of students to restrict access to child pornography and other material that is obscene, objectionable, inappropriate, and/or harmful to minors.  The technology protection measures may not be disabled at any time that students may be using District technology resources, if such disabling will cease to protect against access to materials that are prohibited under the CIPA.  Any student who attempts to disable the technology protection measures will be subject to discipline.

    The Superintendent may temporarily or permanently unblock access to websites or online educational services/apps containing appropriate material, if access to such sites has been inappropriately blocked by the technology protection measures.  The determination of whether material is appropriate or inappropriate shall be based on the content of the material and the intended use of the material, not on the protection actions of the technology protection measures.

    Parents are advised that a determined user may be able to gain access to services and/or resources on the Internet that the Board has not authorized for educational purposes.  In fact, it is impossible to guarantee students will not gain access through the Internet to information and communications that they and/or their parents may find inappropriate, offensive, objectionable, or controversial.  Parents of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using the Internet.

    Pursuant to Federal law, students shall receive education about the following:

    1. safety and security while using e-mail, chat rooms, social media, and other forms of direct electronic communications;
    2. the dangers inherent with the online disclosure of personally identifiable information
    3. the consequences of unauthorized access (e.g., “hacking”, “harvesting”, “digital piracy”, “data mining”, etc.), cyberbullying, and other unlawful or inappropriate activities by students online; and,
    4. unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personally identifiable information regarding minors.

    Staff members shall provide instruction for their students regarding the appropriate use of technology and online safety and security as specified above.  Furthermore, staff members will monitor the online activities of students while at school.

    Monitoring may include, but is not necessarily limited to, visual observations of online activities during class sessions; or use of specific monitoring tools to review browser history and network, server, and computer logs.

    Building principals are responsible for providing training so that Internet users under their supervision are knowledgeable about this policy and its accompanying procedures.  The Board expects that staff members will provide guidance and instruction to students in the appropriate use of District technology resources.  Such training shall include, but not be limited to, education concerning appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social media, including in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response.  All users of District technology resources (and their parents if they are minors) are required to sign a written agreement to abide by the terms and conditions of this policy and its accompanying procedures.

    Students will be assigned a school e-mail account that they are required to utilize for all school-related electronic communications, including those to staff members, peers, and individuals and/or organizations outside the District, with whom they are communicating for school-related projects and assignments unless the parent/guardian elected to opt-out on the “EMAIL & SUPPLEMENTAL DIGITAL RESOURCE OPT-OUT FORM”. Further, as directed and authorized by their teachers, they shall use their school-assigned e-mail account when signing-up /registering for access to various online educational services, including mobile applications/apps that will be utilized by the student for educational purposes.

    Students are responsible for good behavior when using District technology resources   i.e., behavior comparable to that expected of students when they are in classrooms, school hallways, and other school premises and school-sponsored events.  Communications on the Internet are often public in nature.  General school rules for behavior and communication apply.  The Board does not approve any use of its technology resources that is not authorized by or conducted strictly in compliance with this policy and its accompanying procedures.

    Students may only use District technology resources to access or use social media if it is done for educational purposes in accordance with their teacher’s approved plan for such use.

    Users who disregard this policy and its accompanying procedures may have their use privileges suspended or revoked, and disciplinary action taken against them.  Users are personally responsible and liable, both civilly and criminally, for uses of District technology resources that are not authorized by this policy and its accompanying procedures.

    The Board designates the Superintendent and school administrators as the administrators responsible for initiating, implementing, and enforcing this policy and its accompanying procedures as they apply to students’ use of District technology resources.

    in 2020-2021 INSTRUCTIONAL CONTINUITY PLAN (ICP)