Acceptable Use Policy

Wayne County School District

INTERNET SAFETY & ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
FACULTY/STAFF/STUDENT AGREEMENT

I. Introduction and Internet Safety Policy

Wayne School District, in collaboration with the Utah State Office of Education (USOE) and Utah Education Network (UEN), is dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment for all users accessing district computers, the internet, and the World Wide Web.

While we strive for comprehensive protection, no filtering technology can guarantee perfection. Therefore, the Superintendent of Schools directs the District Technology Director to implement technology protection measures that block or filter internet access as required by the Children's internet Protection Act (CIPA):

• For Adults: Blocking visual depictions that are obscene or child pornography.
• For Minors: Blocking visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors.

These measures may be temporarily disabled or relaxed for adults engaged in bona fide research or other lawful purposes, subject to staff supervision and criteria established by the Superintendent or designee.

The Superintendent or designee is also responsible for developing and implementing procedures to ensure:

• The safety and security of students using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communication.
• Monitoring of online activities of students using district computers.
• Restricting student access to materials deemed harmful to minors.

Furthermore, the District explicitly prohibits the following:

• Unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personally identifiable information (PII) regarding students or district employees.
• Unauthorized online access by students, including hacking and other unlawful activities.
• Access by students to inappropriate content on the internet and World Wide Web.

The Superintendent or designee will establish and enforce procedures to uphold these restrictions. The district's Computer Network Coordinator will monitor all network activities to ensure policy compliance and will ensure both staff and students receive necessary training on these requirements.

Important Note: Use of the district's computer network, including internet and World Wide Web access, is a privilege, not a right. All users are responsible for complying with this policy, accompanying regulations, and generally accepted rules of network etiquette. Failure to comply may result in disciplinary action, including, but not limited to, the revocation of computer access privileges.

II. Acceptable Use Guidelines

Wayne School District provides internet access to students, faculty, and staff to offer access to vast educational resources, strengthen communication and research skills, and expand knowledge.

Acceptable Use Standards

Accessing the internet and network resources must always support education and research and align with the educational goals and objectives of the Wayne School District. Each user is personally responsible for adhering to this provision at all times.

When using other organizations' networks or computing resources, users must also comply with the rules of that specific network.

Prohibited Activities

The following activities are strictly prohibited when using district electronic information services:

• Transmission of any material that violates United States federal, state, or local statutes, laws, or policies. This includes, but is not limited to, copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, or materials protected by trade secrets.
• Commercial activities by for-profit institutions.
• Use of product advertisements or political lobbying.
• Any action that interferes with the intended use of the system or violates another person’s right to privacy, including:
  • Reposting personal communications without the author’s consent.
  • Giving out names, addresses, phone numbers, or passwords of others.
  • Trespassing in another person’s account.
• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to the system or network resources.
• Downloading, storing, or printing files or messages that are profane, obscene, or contain inappropriate language.
• Transmitting or causing to be transmitted any communication that could be construed as harassment or disparagement of others, especially that which is based upon race, national origin, sex, age, disability, or religious or political views.
• Using the network for financial or commercial gain.
• Wasting resources by failing to monitor personal files.
• Illegally installing copyrighted software on district computers.
• Subscribing to list servers and/or newsgroups without prior approval of a school official.
• Accessing internet Relay Chat (IRC) areas.
• Attempting to access or accessing the dark web (Tor, Onion, etc.).
• Cyberbullying or cyberharassment of any kind.

III. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Large Language Model (LLM) Tools

Wayne School District recognizes the evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and their potential to enhance learning and administrative efficiency. The use of AI tools within the district's technological infrastructure and for school-related activities must adhere to the following guidelines:

Responsible and Ethical Use

• Purposeful Use: AI tools are to be used for educational purposes that support learning, foster creativity, or improve administrative tasks.
• Data Privacy: Users must exercise extreme caution and judgment when inputting information into AI tools. Sensitive or confidential data, including personally identifiable information (PII) of students or staff, or protected district information, must never be entered into public AI tools unless explicitly authorized and secured by the district.
• Bias Awareness: Users should be aware that AI-generated content may reflect biases present in its training data. Critical evaluation and verification of AI-generated information are always required.

Academic Integrity

• Citation and Attribution: When AI tools are used to generate content, assist with research, or complete assignments, students are required to properly cite or acknowledge the use of such tools in a manner consistent with academic citation standards.
• Original Thought: AI tools are intended to be supplemental aids, not replacements for a student's original thought, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, or understanding of academic subjects. The use of AI tools must not compromise academic honesty or constitute plagiarism.

Staff Guidelines for AI

• Professional Development: Staff members are encouraged to seek professional development opportunities to effectively and ethically integrate AI into their instructional practices and administrative duties.
• Content Review: Any content generated by AI for use in educational materials, communications, or administrative tasks must be thoroughly reviewed and verified by staff for accuracy, appropriateness, and compliance with all district policies before use.

IV. General Policy Provisions

Privileges

The use of the information system is a privilege, not a right. Inappropriate use will result in the cancellation of these privileges. School administrators will determine what constitutes inappropriate use, and their decision is final. School administrators may close an account at any time as required.

E-Mail

Electronic mail should not be considered private communication. System administrators reserve the right to access e-mail to investigate complaints or to research possible data breaches or other security issues. Messages found to be in violation of acceptable use will be reported to appropriate personnel. District email should only be used for district or school business. Users are encouraged to set up other email accounts for personal use (shopping, banking, social media, etc.). 

Security

Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially with many users.

• If you believe you have identified a security problem on the internet or district network, you must notify a school administrator or the technology coordinator immediately. Do not demonstrate the problem to other users.
• Suspected data breaches must be reported to the IT department immediately. 
• Do not use another individual’s account. 
• Do not share your login credentials with other users. Individuals are responsible for all activity that occurs under their accounts.
• Attempts to log on to the internet or into district systems as an administrator will result in the cancellation of user privileges.
• Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access to the internet.

Vandalism

Vandalism will result in the cancellation of privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data or equipment belonging to another user, the internet, or any agency providing internet access. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses or malware.

Netiquette

All users are expected to adhere to the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Be polite. Do not be abusive in your messages to others.
• Use appropriate language. 
• Illegal activities are strictly forbidden.
• Do not reveal the personal address, phone number, or credit card number of students or colleagues.
• Note that e-mail is not guaranteed to be private. System operators have access to all mail.
• Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to the authorities.
• Do not use the network in a way that would disrupt the use of the network by other users.
• All communications and information accessible via the network should be assumed to be private property.

V. Disclaimer of Liability

Wayne School District makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the service it is providing.

Wayne School District will not be responsible for any damages you suffer. This includes loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or your errors or omissions.

Wayne School District specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its services.