This article is an excerpt from Board Policy 815 - Acceptable Use of Internet, Computers and Network Resources. The full policy can be read by clicking here.

Any communication regarding district business must use approved district systems, services, and applications. All staff and administration should be aware that e-mail messages, electronic documents, notes, files or data that reside on computers and other devices, networks, systems, or applications, and any cloud computing service may be subject to document requests both under Pennsylvania’s Right To Know Law and pursuant to FERPA. The guidelines should be followed by all staff and administrators to ensure professionalism in the District’s communications.

1. Maintain professionalism at all times. Do not write anything in an email, document, note, or any online system that you would not want to have read by a parent, lawyer, or judge.
2. A polite and respectful tone is always required, even when writing about contentious issues or situations.
3. If an email contains confidential student information, only those individuals with a legitimate educational interest in that information should be included or CC’d on the message.
4. Refrain from using personal email accounts or text messages to communicate with parents about school district business. Your school district account or online portals should be used for this purpose.
5. Only send confidential student information to non-district personnel if the appropriate legal release has been signed to allow the non-district personnel access to that information.
6. Use student names instead of initials in all electronic communications.
7. Particularly sensitive issues should be addressed to parents and students in person or over the phone, and not through email.
8. Do not assume that because an email has been sent to a parent that the email has been read by the parent. Follow up in person or over the phone on important issues to ensure that the parent has received the message.