RED MESA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT #27

POLICY ON DISTRICT-PROVIDED ACCESS

TO ELECTRONIC INFORMATION, SERVICES, AND NETWORK RESOURCES

  The Red Mesa Unified School District #27 and the Governing Board believe that information technology as it relates to our students' education while at RMUSD is vitally important to be successful in an increasingly complex and technologically based society. Our goal is to provide for our students all of the opportunities available with respect to the access of information through various forms of media.  The district believes that our school's ability to access the Internet and other electronic media is vital to our students' ability to develop educationally.  In making decisions regarding student access to the Internet, RMUSD considers its own stated education mission goals, and objectives.  Electronic Information research skills are now fundamental to preparation of citizens. The District expects that the faculty will blend thoughtful use of the Internet throughout the curriculum and will provide guidance and instruction to students in its use. As much as possible, access to school Internet resources should be structured in ways that point students to those which have been evaluated prior to use.

  All electronic media must be used appropriately within confines of the school setting. In making this form of media available to its students, staff, and community, it requires that the staff, students, and community use this powerful tool responsibly and for educational purposes. Outside of school, families bear responsibility for the same general rules for behavior and communications.

  The purpose of District-provided Internet access is to facilitate communications in support of research and education. To remain eligible as users, use must be in support of and consistent with the educational objectives of Red Mesa Unified School district. Access is a privilege, not a right. Access entails responsibility.

Students utilizing District-provided Internet access must first have permission of and must be supervised by RMUSD's professional staff. Everyone that utilizes school-provided Internet access is responsible for good behavior on-line just as any other area of the school. The same general rules for behavior and communications apply.

  The appropriate use of Internet access I the confines of the school setting is defined as follows. Information gathered on the internet must be, to a reasonable person, that which is considered appropriate and useful to any school setting in which that or similar information is gathered.

The following uses of school provided Internet access are not permitted:

1.   To access, upload, download, or distribute pornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit material;

2.   To transmit obscene, abusive, or sexually explicit language;

3.   To violate any local, state, or federal statute;

4.   To vandalize, damage, or disable the property of another individual or organization;

5.   To access another individual's materials, information, or files without permission;

6.   To violate copyright or otherwise use intellectual property of another individual or organization without permission.

7.   To harass, threaten, or intimidate another through E-Mail or other electronic means.

If it can be shown that a user willfully gathered information which is judged to be inappropriate or illegal in the

School setting by a teacher and/or the building principal, the user may have their internet privileges suspended, or may be referred to the school administration for further disciplinary consequences. When and where applicable, law enforcement agencies may be involved.

  Red Mesa District makes no warranties of any kind, neither expressed nor implied, for the Internet access it is providing. The district will not be responsible for any damages users suffer, including -- but not limited to -- loss of data resulting from delays or interruptions in service. The District will not be responsible for unauthorized financial obligations resulting from District-provided access to the Internet.

  All Parents of students in Red Mesa Unified School district #27 shall be provided with the following information.

  Red Mesa Unified School District #27 is pleased to offer its student's access to the Internet. The Internet is an electronic highway connecting hundreds of thousands of computers and millions of individual users all over the world. This computer technology will help propel our communications and collaborate with other individuals and groups around the world, and significantly expand their available information base. The Internet is a tool for lifelong learning.

  Families should be aware that some material accessible via the Internet may contain items that are illegal, defamatory, inaccurate, or potentially offensive to some people. In addition, it is possible to purchase certain goods and services via the internet which could result in unwanted financial obligations for which a student's parent or guardian would be liable.

While the District's intent is to make Internet access available in order to further educational goals and objectives, users may find ways to access other materials as well. Even the District's technical methods of regulating Internet access will not guarantee compliance with District's acceptable use policy. RMUSD believes that the benefits of access to the Internet exceed any disadvantages. Ultimately, however, parents and guardians of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media and information sources. Toward that end, RMUSD makes the complete Internet Policy and procedures available on request for review by all parents, guardians, and community members, and provides parents and guardians the option of requesting for their minor children alternative activities not requiring Internet use.

  All Red Mesa students, parents, and staff are required to read and sign the "Behavior Rules for Using School Computers and Networks", before being allowed to use the District provided Internet Access.

BEHAVIOR RULES FOR USING RMUSD COMPUTERS AND NETWORKS

The use of computers, whether stand-alone, as part of a local area network (LAN), or part of a wide area network such as the Internet, is a privilege, not a right, and must be consistent with and driven by the educational objectives of Red Mesa Unified School District #27. Any use that is not consistent with these objectives is prohibited.

Computers and all associated data storage and transfer devices are owned by the District. Exclusive control over this District property is exercised, and users should not expect privacy regarding their use of any District computer or network. As District property it is subject to search and inspection, including, but not limited to, electronic mail, Internet access, file storage and transfer.  Users are responsible for whatever is contained in computer files assigned to them.

  Any student engaging in the behaviors identified below upon first offense will be denied access to the computers and/or computer network for 15 school days or the remainder of the school year, whichever comes first. Upon second offense the student will be denied access for 90 days or the remainder of the school year, whichever comes first.  Upon the third offense the student will be denied access for 180 school days or the remainder of the school year, whichever comes first.  The disciplinary action prescribed by these rules may be supplemented by disciplinary action permitted by any other policy of Red Mesa School District. Staff members found in violation will have off-campus services suspended. Upon the second offense will have a letter of reprimand placed in their personnel file. Further offenses could result in dismissal.

  RMUSD computer that are connected to the Internet are able to access computers and people all over the world. Sites exist on the Internet that contain illegal, indecent, defamatory, inaccurate, or offensive material. RMUSD does not condone access to unsuitable materials, and its system maintains software designed to prevent access to such materials. However, RMUSD recognizes that it cannot control the information accessible on other computer systems and that it is not physically possible to screen out all such inappropriate information.

  All user computer/internet activities are subject to being monitored. E-Mail accounts provided by Red Mesa School District #27 are also subject to monitoring and filtering for inappropriate language. Red Mesa Unified School District #27 will enforce the minimum appropriate computer use standards.  If the user is found to be utilizing the computer or the Internet for other than educational purposes, he/she will be subject to disciplinary actions. Materials created during regular business hours while employed by Red Mesa Unified School District #27 become the property of Red Mesa Unified School District #27.

1.   The RMUSD computers are for educational purposes only.

2.   The creation, display, access, transmission, reception, exchange, or distribution of any text, image or sound that is indecent, obscene, racist, sexist, pervasively, vulgar, defamatory, illegal, or that promotes harm to self or others, is strictly prohibited.

3.   Vandalizing computers, computer systems or computer networks, including any attempt to alter or destroy data of another user or to endanger the integrity of a computer or computer network of the data stored thereon (including the introductions of any virus, time bomb, Trojan horse or similar program), any deletion of or alteration to system files or data and damaging equipment is strictly forbidden.

4.   Users may not violate the copyright law, including using unauthorized copies of reports, research, software, and making transmitting, receiving, exchanging and/or distributing unauthorized copies of software. Copyright violations are considered theft and legal authorities may be contacted.

5.   Users that gain or attempt unauthorized access to computers, computer networks, or computer files/data, Internet, etc., will be considered in violation of the standards set up by RMUSD and will be disciplined.

6.   Forgery of, or interference with electronic mail messages is prohibited.  This includes impersonation of another person while sending e-mail massages, using a false or anonymous name, age, gender or identifier, and the reading, deleting, copying, or modifying, of another person's electronic mail.

7.   Using computers or computer networks to commit, facilitate encourage or promote the unauthorized or fraudulent use of a credit card is prohibited and is a major offense and will be reported to the proper authorities for criminal investigation. The offender will also be subject to school disciplinary action.

8.   Using school computer or computer networks for non-educational purposes, such as advertising or commercial purposes is prohibited.

9.   Giving another individual a personal password or letting another individual use a personal account is prohibited and will result in the loss of privileges to the account holder.

10. Using the RMUSD computers or network systems for other than educational purposes and/or knowingly introducing materials forbidden by Red Mesa Unified School District into RMUSD computer and or/system via any electronic storage media is strictly forbidden. This includes anything that is viewed as indecent, obscene, racist, sexist, pervasively, vulgar, defamatory, offensive, or illegal material, or materials promoting harm to self or others.

Violations will be dealt with following RMUSD disciplinary procedures, and may include suspension of access to computer systems, suspension from the schools site, and/or more severe penalties involving legal authorities. Due process procedures will be followed.