View source for School Board Use of Electronic Mail and Social Media 1405

 
HAGERMAN JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 233 

School Board Use of Email, Social Media, and District Provided Electronic Devices 

Use of electronic mail (e-mail) by members of the Board will conform to the same standards of judgment, propriety, and ethics as other forms of school board-related communication. Board members will comply with the following guidelines when using e-mail in the conduct of Board responsibilities: 

# The	Board will not use email,	communications via social media, or other electronic communications	as a substitute for deliberations or voting at Board meetings or for	other communications or business properly confined to Board	meetings. 

# Board	members will be aware that e-mail and e-mail attachments received or	prepared for use in Board business or containing information	relating to Board business (regardless of whether sent or received	on a school owned computer or personally owned computer) may be	regarded as public records, which may be inspected by any person	upon request, unless otherwise made confidential by law.	Additionally, if a Board Member is utilizing	a school-owned technology device for personal purposes, such	communications may also be subject to production in a public records	request.

# Board	members will note that individual postings made to social media	sites should be considered carefully in light of how they would	reflect on the poster, the Board of Trustees, and the District.	Opinions expressed by staff on a social networking website have the	potential to be disseminated far beyond the speaker’s desire or	intention, and could undermine the public perception of fitness of	the individual to serve students’ interests. Individual Board	member postings are an act of the individual and are not an act of	the Board. 

# Board	members will comply with the same standards as school employees with	regard to confidential information and security measures taken when	sending	it electronically.	 

# Board members will refrain	from downloading or using the TikTok app or visiting the Tik Tok	website on any District-provided device or while connected to the	District’s network. If TikTok has already been downloaded onto a	device issued to a Board member by the District, the Board member	shall delete the app or seek District assistance in deleting it.

Trustees shall not use District-provided email or social media for personal purposes.

Use of any District-Provided electronic device for informal or personal purposes is permissible within reasonable limits provided it does not interfere with their duties as a Board trustee and complies with District policy. However, the Board member needs to understand that such use of school provided electronic devices for personal or informal purposes may be subject to production in a public records request.

Definitions 

"Deliberation" is defined as the receipt or exchange of information or opinion relating to a decision, but shall not include informal or impromptu discussions of a general nature which do not specifically relate to a matter then pending before the public agency for decision. 

Cross Reference:	5325	Employee Use of Social Media Sites, Including Personal Sites

			5330	Employee Email and Online Service Usage

Legal Reference: 	I.C. § 9-337 	Public Writings ''et. seq.'' 

	I.C. § 18-6726	TikTok Use by State Employees on a State-Issued Device Prohibited

	I.C. § 67-2341(2) 	Open Public Meetings – Definitions 

	Idaho Executive Order 2022-06

	Cowles Pub. Co. v. Kootenai Co. Bd. of County Commissioners 144 Idaho 259 (2007).

Policy History: 

Adopted on: 	10/8/2012

Reviewed on:  05/15/2023

Revised on:	06/19/2023