HSD+Acceptable+Use+Policy

=Hopkinton School District Student Internet Access/ Acceptable Use Policy=

Preamble
The purpose of this policy is to serve as a statement on the appropriate and acceptable use of the Hopkinton School District Computer Network, including the District’s connection to the Internet.

Educational Purposes
The purpose of the Hopkinton School District Network is to enhance established school curriculum. Appropriate use of networking resources and computer equipment is consistent with the Hopkinton School District’s commitment to avail district and computer networking resources for the purpose of improving, extending and enriching teaching and learning in the district. Users are responsible for ensuring that their activities adhere to these uses and generally accepted educational standards.

Within reason and in a manner consistent with the Hopkinton School District’s educational mission, freedom of speech will be honored. However, in accordance with federal law, the Hopkinton School District utilizes appropriate Internet filtering technology in order to protect minors from visual depictions of material on the Internet that is obscene or harmful to minors. In addition to Internet filtering, adult supervision of students on the Internet is required, and the system administrator monitors access to inappropriate sites on the World Wide Web.

Privilege
The use of the Hopkinton School District Network is a privilege and not a right. There are and will be varying degrees of access to the Hopkinton School District Network that are and will be allowed to different learners. Some of these levels will be determined by age or grade, and some by demonstration of acceptance of responsibility. The use of electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communication by students is prohibited. An exception may be made if an adult directly supervises a student and the electronic communication is for educational purposes. Inappropriate use includes all those activities prohibited to the user based on their allowed degree of access, and any activity that violates the school building’s discipline policy or code or state or federal law. Inappropriate use will result in restriction or cancellation of access privileges and such other actions as the District’s staff deems appropriate for violations of the school building’s discipline policy or code.

Responsibilities
All users assume full liability – legal, financial or otherwise – for their actions when using the Hopkinton School District Network. All users of the network will be held fully responsible for the use of their account. Any inappropriate activities performed through the account will be considered to be the actions of the account holder. The responsibility of the user is to familiarize himself/herself with and abide by the rules of the Hopkinton School District’s Internet working policy. All users of the network and/or related computer equipment will be responsible for the cost of repairs for any malicious tampering with equipment or a compromise of security of district computer systems.

Privacy
The Hopkinton School District Network is maintained and managed by the system administrator in such a way as to insure as much as possible its availability and reliability in performing its educational mission. Users have no reasonable expectation of privacy concerning any materials transferred over or stored with the Hopkinton School District Network.