Charter Provided Access to Electronic Information, Services, and Networks
RISE Charter School contracts with Kimberly School District for the provision and oversight of its technology services and network infrastructure. Accordingly, RISE Charter School shall adhere to and implement the same standards, requirements, and procedures set forth by Kimberly School District regarding Charter Provided Access to Electronic Information, Services, and Networks. All students, staff, and other authorized users of RISE technology resources are expected to comply fully with the applicable Kimberly School District policies, regulations, and acceptable use requirements governing electronic information systems, services, and network access.
PREAMBLE
Internet access and interconnected computer systems are available to RISE Charter School’s students. Electronic networks, including the internet, are a part of the Charter’s instructional program in order to promote educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication.
In order for the Charter to be able to continue to make its computer network and internet access available, all users, including students, must take responsibility for appropriate and lawful use of this access. Students utilizing school-provided internet access are responsible for good behavior online. The same general rules for behavior apply to students’ use of Charter-provided computer systems. Students must understand that one student’s misuse of the network and internet access may jeopardize the ability of all students to enjoy such access. While the Charter’s teachers and other staff will make reasonable efforts to supervise use of network and internet access, they must have student cooperation in exercising and promoting responsible use of this access and students must be held responsible and accountable for their own conduct.
Curriculum
In accordance with this policy and the Board’s philosophy to ensure the safety of all students, the Charter shall provide an appropriate planned instructional component for internet safety which shall be integrated into the Charter’s regular instructional program. In compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act, this instruction will include information on the safe use of social networking sites and instant messaging, the characteristics of cyber-bullying, and recommended responses.
The use of the Charter’s electronic networks shall be consistent with the curriculum adopted by the Charter, as well as the varied instructional needs, abilities, and developmental levels of the students, and shall comply with the selection criteria for instructional materials and library-media center materials. Staff may, consistent with the Charter’s educational goals, use the internet throughout the curriculum.
The Charter’s electronic network is part of the curriculum and is not a public forum for general use.
Internet / Internet Safety
The Charter provides Internet filtering to prevent access to inappropriate or offensive sites. Filtering categories shall reflect statutory requirements and the values of the community. Filtering may also prevent or limit access to content not directly related to the educational goals of the Charter.
Each Charter computer with internet access shall have a filtering device as described in Procedure 3612P.
The Charter shall require that any vendor, person, or entity providing digital or online library resources to the Charter for use by students verify they have policies and technology protection measures:
1. Prohibiting and preventing users from sending, receiving, viewing, or downloading materials that are deemed to be harmful to minors, as defined by section 18-1514, Idaho Code; and
2. Filtering or blocking access to obscene materials, materials harmful to minors, and materials that depict the sexual exploitation of a minor.
The Charter will also monitor the online activities of students, through direct observation and/or technological means, to ensure that students are not accessing material that is inappropriate or harmful to minors, as defined in section 18-1514 Idaho Code or as defined in 47 USC Section 254.
Filtering should also be used in conjunction with:
1. Educating students on appropriate online behavior;
2. Requiring students review and sign Form 3612F Internet Access Conduct Agreement;
3. Using behavior management practices for which internet access privileges can be earned or lost;
4. Appropriate supervision, either in person and/or electronically.
The system administrator and/or building principal shall monitor student internet access.
Internet filtering software or other technology-based protection systems may be disabled by a supervising teacher or school administrator, as necessary, for purposes of bona fide research or other educational projects being conducted by students age 18 and older.
Network Services Use Agreement Required
The use of the Charter's technology is a privilege and not a right. Permission from parents/guardians is required before students may access network services. All users must sign a Network Services Use Agreement at the beginning of each school year. The Charter will assign individual user IDs and, in some cases, temporary passwords for access to various services. These passwords shall meet minimum complexity criteria and refresh criteria. Under no circumstance shall these passwords be shared or divulged to anyone. Workstations and other access layer devices shall not be left unattended while the user's credentials are active.
Warranties / Indemnification
Network services provided by the Charter may not always meet student or staff requirements or be uninterrupted or error-free. It is provided on an “as-is/as available” basis. The Charter makes no warranties of any kind, express or implied, in connection with its provision of access to and use of its computer networks and the internet provided under this policy. The Charter is not responsible for any information that may be lost, damaged, or unavailable when using the network, or for any information that is retrieved or transmitted via the internet. This includes loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, missed deliveries, or service interruptions caused by its negligence or the user’s errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the internet is at the user’s own risk. The Charter specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its services. The Charter will not be responsible for any unauthorized charges or fees resulting from access to the internet, and any user is fully responsible to the Charter and shall indemnify and hold the Charter, its board of directors, administrators, teachers, and staff harmless from any and all loss, costs, claims, or damages resulting from such user’s access to its computer network and the internet, including but not limited to any fees or charges incurred through purchases of goods or services by the user and attorney fees. The user or, if the user is a minor, the user’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) agrees to co-operate with the Charter in the event of the school initiating an investigation of a user’s use of his/her access to its computer network and the internet.
Violations / Termination of Account
If any user violates this policy, the student’s access to the Charter’s internet system and computers will be denied, if not already provided, or withdrawn and they may be subject to additional disciplinary action. The Charter Administrators/or Building Principal will make all decisions regarding whether or not a user has violated this policy and any related rules or regulations and may deny, revoke, or suspend access at any time, with their decision being final. Actions which violate local, state, or federal law may be referred to the local law enforcement agency.
If the actions of the individual are also in violation of other Charter discipline policies, said student shall be subject to additional possible disciplinary action based upon these policies.
Public Notification
The Internet Safety Coordinator shall inform the public via the main Charter webpage of the Charter’s procedures regarding enforcement of this policy and make them available for review at the Charter office.
Email
Students will use charter provided email services. Limited personal use shall not interfere with the educational goals or instructional objectives of the Charter. Information forwarded to non-Charter accounts shall not contain material that would constitute a breach of confidentiality or contain educational records. All emails are archived for a period of at least five years.
The Charter reserves the right to access and disclose the contents of any account on its system, without prior notice or permission from the account user. Use of an unauthorized non-Charter electronic mail account for charter related business or classroom use is strictly prohibited.
Limits to the amount and age of saved email messages may be imposed to conserve Charter resources. Charter e-mail addresses will not be linked to personal/social networking accounts and social websites.
Software and Equipment
To ensure compliance with applicable law, provide accurate inventory information and promote systems interoperability and compatibility. Only Charter approved software will be installed by designated personnel on networks or individual machines. Appropriate licenses must be held for all software. Licenses and installation of media, physical or electronic will be retained by the tech department. Peripheral devices (including, but not limited to, printers, scanners, and storage/data devices) must be approved and installed by designated personnel. Donated equipment and software are subject to the same policies. Service and support for personal devices will not be provided by Charter staff. All purchases of software and equipment connected to or using Charter provided network services require approval by the Tech Director.
Wireless
Wireless access is provided for Charter approved devices. Other devices, including personal student or staff devices, may be provided with access if resources are available. The access to personal devices will be limited to resources available to the public via the Internet. Students and staff are prohibited from establishing network services of any kind or interfering with Charter services.
Outsourcing of Services
To provide more efficient service and cost effectiveness it may be desirable to outsource various services. To ensure compatibility with existing systems, regulatory compliance, and to avoid duplication or conflicts in service, contracts for such services require the approval of the technical director and the Executive Director.
Contracts for outsourced services shall include specific language to assure the vendor will not use data for any purpose other than providing the outsourced service such as data mining for the vendor's own benefit or re-disclose it to others without appropriate authorization. The contract shall require the vendor to give us notice of any security/data breaches, and, to the extent that user notification is legally required, such notice should preferably be in advance of user notification.
Vendors shall provide tools that allow the Charter to access data in the event of the need for discovery. The contract shall expressly make clear that all data belongs to the Charter and that the vendor acquires no rights or licenses, including without limitation of intellectual property rights or licenses, to use the data for its own purposes.
Representation of Charter
Posting any material representing the Charter on non-Charter sites is prohibited unless approved by the Executive Director.
Submission to State Department of Education
This policy shall be filed with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction every five years after initial submission and subsequent to any editing to this policy thereafter.
Policy History:
Adopted on: March 26, 2026
Revised on:
Reviewed on: