Technology

Note: The current AUP can also be found in Board Documents

Book                               Policy Manual

Section                           800 Operations

Title                                Copy of Copy of Acceptable Use of Internet, Computers and Network Resources                                            Code 815

Status                             Review

Adopted                          February 10, 1997

Last Revised                    October 10, 2022

Last Reviewed                 May 6, 2024

Prior Revised Dates         9/10/12, 10/10/22, 7/18/23

Purpose

The Board supports use of the computers, Internet and other network resources in the district's instructional and operational programs in order to facilitate learning, teaching and daily operations through interpersonal communications and access to information, research and collaboration.

The district provides students, staff and other authorized individuals with access to the district’s computers, electronic communication systems and network, which includes Internet access, whether wired or wireless, or by any other means.

For instructional purposes, the use of network facilities shall be consistent with the curriculum adopted by the district as well as the varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels of students.

Technology resources may include School district Computers which are located or installed on School district property, at School district events, connected to the School district’s network and/or systems, or when using its mobile computing equipment, telecommunication facilities in protected and unprotected areas or environments, directly from home, or indirectly through another ISP, and if relevant, when Users bring and use their own personal Computers or personal electronic devices, and, if relevant, when Users bring and use another entity’s Computer or electronic devices to a School district location, an event, or connect it to the School district’s network.

The use of the district’s technology resources is for appropriate school-related educational and operational purposes and for the performance of job duties consistent with the educational mission of the district. Use for educational purposes is defined as use that is consistent with the curriculum adopted by the district as well as the varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities and developmental levels of students. All use for any purpose must comply with this policy and all other applicable codes of conduct, policies, procedures, and rules and must not cause damage to the district’s technology resources.

All employees and students are responsible for the appropriate and lawful use of the district’s technology resources. This policy is intended to ensure that all users continue to enjoy access to the district’s technology resources and that such resources are utilized in an appropriate manner and for legitimate purposes.

The term child pornography is defined under both federal and state law.

 

Definitions

Child pornography - under federal law, is any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, picture, or computer or computer-generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where:[1]

1.  The production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct;

2.  Such visual depiction is a digital image, computer image, or computer-generated image that is, or is indistinguishable from, that of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or

3.  Such visual depiction has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Child pornography - under state law, is any book, magazine, pamphlet, slide, photograph, film, videotape, computer depiction or other material depicting a child under the age of eighteen (18) years engaging in a prohibited sexual act or in the simulation of such act.[2]

District Technology Resources - means all technology owned, operated, and/or licensed by the district, including but not limited to, electronic communications systems, computers, computer networks, accounts, networked devices, hardware, projectors, televisions, video and sound systems, mobile devices, calculators, printers, software, internet access, hotspots, assistive devices, peripherals, copiers, and cameras.

Guests include but are not limited to visitors, workshop attendees, volunteers, independent contractors, adult education staff, students, board members, vendors, and consultants.

The term harmful to minors is defined under both federal and state law.

Harmful to minors - under federal law, is any picture, image, graphic image file or other visual depiction that:[3][4]

1.  Taken as a whole, with respect to minors, appeals to a prurient interest in nudity, sex or excretion;

2.  Depicts, describes or represents in a patently offensive way with respect to what is suitable for minors, an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact, actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or lewd exhibition of the genitals; and

3.  Taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value as to minors.

Obscene - any material or performance, if[5]

1.  The average person applying contemporary community standards would find that the subject matter taken as a whole appeals to the prurient interest;

2.  The subject matter depicts or describes in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct described in the law to be obscene; and

3.  The subject matter, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, educational or scientific value.

Personal Electronic Devices - shall include any personal communication device including mobile telephones and smartphones; any device that can capture still images or movies; any device that can record, store, display, transmit, or receive audio or video; any device that can provide a connection to the internet (whether wireless or wired); laptops and tablet computers, electronic gaming systems, pagers, e-readers, and laser pointers.

 

Technology protection measure - a specific technology that blocks or filters Internet access to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography or harmful to minors.[4]

User

User means anyone who utilizes or attempts to utilize district technology resources while on or off district property. The term includes, but is not limited to, students, staff, parents and/or guardians, and any visitors to the district that may use district technology.

Authority

The availability of access to electronic information does not imply endorsement by the district of the content, nor does the district guarantee the accuracy of information received. The district shall not be responsible for any information that may be lost, damaged or unavailable when using the network or for any information that is retrieved via the Internet.

The district shall not be responsible for any unauthorized charges or fees resulting from access to the Internet or other network resources.

The Board declares that district Internet, computer and network use is a privilege, not a right. The district’s computer and network resources are the property of the district. Users shall have no expectation of privacy in anything they create, store, send, delete, access, receive or display on or over the district’s Internet, computers or network resources, including personal files. The district reserves the right to monitor, track and log network access and use on district computers and network resources; monitor fileserver space and file storage utilization by district users; or deny access to prevent unauthorized, inappropriate or illegal activity and may revoke access privileges and/or administer appropriate disciplinary action. The district shall cooperate to the extent legally required with the Internet Service Provider (ISP), local, state and federal officials in any investigation concerning or related to the misuse of the district’s Internet, computers and network resources.[6][7] [8]

The Board requires all users to fully comply with this policy and to immediately report any violations or suspicious activities to the building principal or designee.

The Board establishes the following list of subject areas as inappropriate matter, in addition to those stated in law and defined in this policy, which shall not be accessed by minors:[4]

1.  {x} Hate speech.[9][10]

2.  {x} Lewd, vulgar or profane.

3.  {x} Threatening.[11][12]

4.  {x} Harassing or discriminatory.[9][10][13]

5.  {x} Bullying.[14]

6.  {x} (Consisting of/Relating to) Weapons.[15]

7.  {x} Terroristic.[16]

The district reserves the right to restrict access to any Internet sites or network functions it deems inappropriate through established Board policy, or the use of software and/or online server blocking/filtering. Specifically, the district operates and enforces a technology protection measure(s) that blocks or filters access to inappropriate matter by minors on its computers and network resources used and accessible to adults and students. The technology protection measure shall be enforced during use of computers and network resources with Internet access.[3][4][17]

Upon request by students or staff, the Superintendent or designee shall expedite a review and may authorize the adjustment of technology protection measures to enable access to material that is blocked or filtered but is not prohibited by this policy.[17]

 

Upon request by students or staff, building administrators may authorize the temporary adjustment of technology protection measures to enable access for bona fide research or for other lawful purposes. Written permission from the parent/guardian is required prior to adjusting Internet blocking/filtering for a student’s use. If a request for temporary adjustment of technology protection measures is denied, the requesting student or staff member may appeal the denial to the Superintendent or designee for expedited review.[3][18]

Delegation of Responsibility

The district shall make every effort to ensure that this resource is used responsibly by students and staff.

The district shall inform staff, students, parents/guardians and other users about this policy through employee and student handbooks, posting on the district website and by other appropriate methods. A copy of this policy shall be provided to parents/guardians, upon written request.[17]

Users of district networks or district-owned equipment shall, prior to being given access or being issued equipment, sign user agreements acknowledging awareness of the provisions of this policy and awareness that the district uses monitoring systems to monitor and detect inappropriate use and tracking systems to track and recover lost or stolen equipment.

Student user agreements shall also be signed by a parent/guardian.

Administrators, teachers and staff have a professional responsibility to work together to help students develop the intellectual skills necessary to discern among information sources, to identify information appropriate to their age and developmental levels and to evaluate and use the information to meet their educational goals.

Students, staff and other authorized individuals have the responsibility to respect and protect the rights of every other user in the district and on the Internet.

Building principals shall make initial determinations of whether inappropriate use has occurred, and may consult with the Superintendent or designee and the school solicitor when necessary.

The Superintendent or designee shall be responsible for recommending technology and developing procedures used to determine whether the district’s computers and network resources are being used for purposes prohibited by law or for accessing sexually explicit materials. The procedures shall include but not be limited to:[3][4][19]

1.  Utilizing a technology protection measure that blocks or filters Internet access for minors and adults to certain visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, harmful to minors with respect to use by minors or determined inappropriate for use by minors by the Board.

2.  Maintaining and securing a usage log.

3.  Monitoring online activities of minors on district computers and network resources.

The Superintendent or designee shall develop and implement administrative regulations that ensure students are educated on network etiquette and other appropriate online behavior, including:[4]

1.  Interaction with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms.

2.  Cyberbullying awareness and response.[14][20]

Guidelines

District computers and network accounts shall be used only by the authorized user of the computer or account for its approved purpose. Network users shall respect the privacy of other users on the system.

Safety

It is the district’s goal to protect users of the network from harassment and unwanted or unsolicited electronic communications. Any network user who receives threatening or unwelcome electronic communications or inadvertently visits or accesses an inappropriate site shall report such immediately to a teacher, building administrator or other appropriate school staff. Network users shall not reveal personal information to other users on the network or Internet, including chat rooms, email, social networking websites, etc.

Internet safety measures shall effectively address the following:[4][19]

1.  Control of access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet and World Wide Web.

2.  Safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, social networking websites and other forms of direct electronic communications.

3.  Prevention of unauthorized online access by minors, including hacking and other unlawful activities.

4.  Unauthorized disclosure, use and dissemination of personal information regarding minors.[21] [22][23]

5.  Restriction of minors’ access to materials harmful to them or which have been designated as inappropriate matter in Board policy.

Use of Personal Electronic Devices

The Board recognizes that mobile phones and electronic devices are now an integral part of the daily lives and culture of many of the district’s students. Nonetheless, the Board believes that students should have an educational environment free from unnecessary disruptions and distractions. The Board has determined that the presence of mobile phones and electronic devices has the potential to distract students from their educational mission and to otherwise disrupt the educational environment.

Therefore the Board adopts this policy to maintain an educational environment that is safe and secure and free from distractions for its students, while aiming to permit pupils to reasonably and responsibly utilize mobile technology; [16]

1.  Nothing in this policy shall affect the provision or use of an electronic device as stated in an Individualized Education Program or Section 504 Service Agreement.

2.  All students are assigned a district device and expected to have the device and charger accessible in school at all times.

3.  Students are permitted to use personal devices, as long as they are on the approved list of devices to be provided by the Director of Technology prior to the beginning of each school year.

4.  Students allowed to utilize personal devices while in the district are expected to connect to the district network.

5.  Limitation on Technical Support: district information technology staff may not provide technical assistance to students or staff for their personal devices. However, this policy shall not prohibit district information technology staff from providing general instructions for the configuration of such devices to access or connect to district-owned technology resources.

6.  The School Board recognizes the instructional benefits of personal devices, including cell phones, for enhancing learning opportunities and engaging students in educational activities. However, the use of such devices in the classroom is at the discretion of the teacher, pursuant to this policy. Teachers may allow or restrict the use of personal devices based on their

 

judgment of what best supports the learning environment and instructional goals. Students are expected to follow the guidelines provided by their teachers regarding personal device usage.

The use of personal electronic devices on the district network is permitted only on designated networks. When a user connects a personal electronic device to a district network or district technology resources, this policy and its guidelines apply. Users are subject to the same levels of monitoring and access as if a district-owned device were being utilized. Users who connect a personal electronic device to a district network explicitly waive any expectation of privacy in the content exchanged over the district technology resources.

Privacy

The district reserves the right to monitor any user’s utilization of district technology resources. Users have no expectation of privacy while using district technology resources whether on or off district property. The district may monitor, inspect, copy, and review any and all usage of district technology resources including information transmitted and received via the internet to ensure compliance with this and other district policies, and state and federal law. All e-mails and messages, as well as any files stored on district technology resources may be inspected at any time for any reason. The district may decrypt and inspect encrypted internet traffic and communications to ensure compliance with this policy.

Parental Notification and Responsibility

The school district will notify the parents/guardians about the school district’s Technology Resources and the Policies, regulations, rules, and procedures governing their use. This Policy contains restrictions on accessing Inappropriate Matter. There is a wide range of material available on the Internet, some of which may not be fitting with the particular values of the families of the students. It is not practically possible for the school district to monitor and enforce a wide range of social values in student use of the Internet. Further, the school district recognizes that parents/guardians bear primary responsibility for transmitting their particular set of family values to their children. The school district will encourage parents/guardians to specify to their child(ren) what material and matter is and is not acceptable for their child(ren) to access through the school’s district’s Technology Resources.

When out of school, parents/guardians are responsible to help monitor their child(ren)’s use of the school district’s Technology Resources when they are accessing the systems.

Filtering and CIPA Compliance

The district utilizes content and message filters to prevent users from accessing material through district technology resources that has been determined to be obscene, offensive, pornographic, harmful to minors, or otherwise inconsistent with the district’s educational mission. The Superintendent or his/her designee shall establish a procedure for users to request that a legitimate website or educational resource not be blocked by the district’s filters for a bona fide educational purpose. [3][4][14]

The Board directs that the Superintendent or his/her designee ensure that students at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels are educated about appropriate online behavior including interacting via social networks and in chat rooms, cyber-bullying, and disclosure of personal information. [4][12]

Monitoring

District technology resources shall be periodically monitored to ensure compliance with this and other district policies including monitoring of users’ online activities. The network administrator designated by the Superintendent shall ensure that regular monitoring is completed pursuant to this section.

However, the Superintendent, or his/her designee, shall also implement procedures to ensure that district technology resources are not utilized to track the whereabouts or movements of individuals, and that remotely activated cameras and/or audio are not utilized except where necessary to recover lost or stolen district technology.

Guest Accounts

Guests, which include, but are not limited to, independent contractors and adult education instructors, may receive an individual account with the approval of the Superintendent or designee, if there is a specific, district-related purpose requiring such access. Use of the district technology resources by a guest shall be specifically limited to the district-related purpose. A signed written agreement will be required prior to access being provided and parent/guardian signature will be required if the guest is a minor.

Access to all data on, taken from, or compiled using any part of the district's network is subject to inspection and discipline or legal action by the district. District information placed on users’ personal computers, networks, Internet, and electronic communications systems is subject to access by the district. The district reserves the right to legally access users’ personal equipment for district information. The district reserves the right to monitor, track, and log network access and use; monitor fileserver space utilization; maintain usage logs; and monitor online activity.

Artificial Intelligence

Purpose

The school district recognizes the constant evolution of technology and its significant influence on our global society, local community, and classrooms. Artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI, is increasingly integrated into our daily lives. We have a duty to educate and equip students with the knowledge to ethically and responsibly utilize AI for educational purposes. Consequently, the school district does not prohibit students or teachers from using AI. The purpose of this Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is to ensure safe, responsible, and ethical use of AI tools in K-12 schools. This policy outlines the guidelines, expectations, and responsibilities for students, teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders when using AI tools within the school environment.

Artificial Intelligence General Guidelines

1.1.  AI tools should be used for educational purposes and in alignment with the curriculum.

1.2.  AI tools should be used in a manner that respects the rights, privacy, and dignity of all individuals.

1.3.  Users should adhere to all applicable laws, regulations, and policies regarding the use of AI tools.

1.4 The school district will provide guidance and support to ensure that students use age-appropriate tools and platforms, and teachers, along with building principals, will verify compliance with the platform’s terms of service as part of the district Instructional Program Request Process.

Artificial Intelligence Responsible Use

2.1.  Users should use AI tools in a responsible, respectful, and considerate manner.

2.2.  Users should not engage in any activity that may harm or disrupt the AI tools, the network, or other users.

2.3.  Users should report any misuse, security vulnerabilities, or concerns related to the AI tools to the appropriate school authorities.

Artificial Intelligence Privacy and Data Protection

3.1.  Users should respect the privacy of others and not attempt to access or disclose personal information without proper authorization.

3.2.  Users should not collect, store, or share personal data of other individuals without explicit consent and in compliance with applicable data protection laws and regulations.

3.3.  Users should be aware of the data collection practices of AI tools and their potential impact on privacy. Personal data should be handled securely and in accordance with the school's data protection policies.

Artificial Intelligence Intellectual Property

4.1.  Users should respect intellectual property rights and not use AI tools to infringe upon copyrights, trademarks, patents, or any other intellectual property.

4.2.  Users should not create, distribute, or use AI-generated content that violates copyright or

intellectual property laws.

4.3.  Users should properly attribute any AI-generated content used or shared within the school environment.

Artificial Intelligence Ethical Use

5.1.  Users should be aware of the ethical implications of using AI tools and should not engage in activities that promote discrimination, harassment, bullying, or any form of harmful behavior.

5.2.  Users should critically evaluate the outputs generated by AI tools and exercise responsible judgment in their use.

5.3.  Users should consider the potential biases and limitations of AI tools and make informed decisions accordingly.

Artificial Intelligence Compliance and Consequences

6.1.  The school reserves the right to monitor and review the use of AI tools to ensure compliance with this AUP and to protect the integrity and security of the school's network and resources.

By using AI tools in the school environment, users acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with this AUP. The school reserves the right to update or modify this AUP as needed and will communicate any changes to all relevant stakeholders.

General Prohibitions

Users are expected to act in a responsible, ethical and legal manner in accordance with Board policy, accepted rules of network etiquette and federal and state law and regulations. Specifically, the following are prohibited uses of district computers and/or network resources:

1.  Facilitating illegal activity.

2.  Commercial or for-profit purposes.

3.  Nonwork or nonschool related work.

4.  Product advertisement.

5.  Bullying/Cyberbullying.[14][20]

6.  Hate mail, discriminatory remarks, harassment and offensive or inflammatory communication. [9][10][14][24]

7.  Unauthorized or illegal installation, distribution, reproduction or use of copyrighted materials. [25]

8.  Accessing, sending, receiving, transferring, viewing, sharing or downloading obscene, pornographic, lewd or otherwise illegal materials, images or photographs.[26]

9.  Access by students and minors to material that is harmful to minors or is determined inappropriate for minors in accordance with Board policy.

10.  Vulgar language or profanity.

11.  Transmission of material that a reasonable person would know to be offensive or objectionable to recipients.

12.  Intentional obtaining or modifying of files, passwords and data belonging to other users.

13.  Impersonation of another user, anonymity and pseudonyms.

14.  Fraudulent copying, communications or modification of materials in violation of copyright laws. [25]

15.  Loading or accessing unauthorized games, programs, files or other electronic media.

16.  Disruption of the work of other users.

17.  Destruction, modification, abuse or unauthorized access to network hardware, software, systems and files.

18.  Accessing the Internet, district computers or other network resources without authorization.

19.  Disabling, adjusting or bypassing the Internet blocking/filtering technology protection measure(s) without authorization.

20.  Accessing, sending, receiving, transferring, viewing, sharing, deleting or downloading confidential information without authorization.

Security

System security is protected through the use of passwords and/or encryption and district security procedures. Failure to adequately protect or update passwords could result in unauthorized access to personal or district files. To protect the integrity of the system, these guidelines shall be followed:[23] [27][28]

1.  Employees, students and other authorized users shall not reveal their passwords to another individual.

2.  Users are not to use a computer that has been logged in under another user.

3.  Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computers or network systems may be denied access to the district’s computers and network resources.

Copyright

The illegal use of copyrighted materials is prohibited. Any data uploaded to or downloaded from the network or Internet shall be subject to fair use guidelines and applicable laws and regulations.[25] [29]

District Website

The district may establish and maintain a website and shall develop and modify its web pages to present information about the district under the direction of the Superintendent or designee. All authorized users publishing content on the district website shall receive appropriate training and comply with this and other applicable district policies.

Users shall not copy or download information from the district website and disseminate such information on unauthorized web pages without authorization from the building principal.

Accessibility

District staff who maintain district websites and web pages shall post content which is accessible to individuals with disabilities, to the same extent that it is available to other users, based on the needs of the individuals and limitations of the platform. This shall include, but is not limited to:[9][10][13]

 [ 30] [ 31] [ 32]

1.  Including alternate text descriptions or captions for images.

2.  Including captions for video content.

3.  Avoiding text that is posted as an image or conveyed using only color cues.

4.  Creating links and attachments in formats that are accessible to screen readers and other assistive technology, and may be accessed through keyboard or speech navigation.

5.  Formatting text so that it is accessible to screen readers and other assistive technology, and may be accessed through keyboard or speech navigation.

All district websites shall contain clear contact information that may be used by members of the public to request accommodations or assistance.

Consequences for Inappropriate Use of District Technology

Users of district computers and network resources shall be responsible for damages to the equipment, systems, platforms and software resulting from deliberate, negligent or willful acts. [ 17]

Illegal use of the district computers and network resources; intentional deletion or damage to files or data belonging to others; copyright violations; and theft of services may be reported to the appropriate legal authorities for possible prosecution.

General rules and Board policies for behavior and communications apply when using the district computers, network resources and Internet, in addition to the stipulations of this policy.

[content removed]

Vandalism shall result in loss of access privileges, disciplinary action and/or referral to legal authorities. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user, the district, the Internet or other networks; this includes but is not limited to uploading or creating computer viruses.

Failure to comply with this policy or inappropriate use of the Internet, district network or computers may result in usage restrictions, loss of access privileges, disciplinary action and/or referral to legal authorities.[6][7][8]

NOTES:

State CIPA – Child Internet Protection Act – 24 P.S. Sec. 4601 et seq. Federal CIPA – Children’s Internet Protection Act – 47 U.S.C. Sec. 254

If district has three (3) employee sections, change the policy cites in the policy and references.

** Check backup, particularly any User Agreements included in handbooks, to determine whether or not to add the option for tracking and recovering lost or stolen equipment – if the district has not disabled this type of tracking system, the language should be included in the policy to put users on notice.

 

PSBA Revision 10/23 © 2023 PSBA

Legal

1.  18 U.S.C. 2256

2.  18 Pa. C.S.A. 6312

3.  20 U.S.C. 7131

 

4.  47 U.S.C. 254

5.  18 Pa. C.S.A. 5903

6.   Pol. 218

7.   Pol. 233

8.   Pol. 317

9.   Pol. 103

10.   Pol. 104

11.  24 P.S. 1302-E

12.   Pol. 236.1

13.   Pol. 103.1

14.   Pol. 249

15.   Pol. 218.1

16.  Pol. 218.2

17.  24 P.S. 4604

18.  24 P.S. 4610

19.  47 CFR 54.520

20.  24 P.S. 1303.1-A

21.   Pol. 113.4

22.   Pol. 216

23.   Pol. 830

24.   Pol. 247

25.   Pol. 814

26.   Pol. 237

27.   Pol. 800

28.   Pol. 830.1

29.  17 U.S.C. 101 et seq

30.  42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq

31.  29 U.S.C. 794

32.  28 CFR 35.160

24 P.S. 4601 et seq 18 Pa. C.S.A. 2709 Pol. 113.1

Pol. 220

Pol. 816

Pol. 824

 

 

 

Legal                               1. 18 U.S.C. 2256

2.  ​18 Pa. C.S.A. 6312

3.  ​20 U.S.C. 7131

4.  ​47 U.S.C. 254

5.  ​18 Pa. C.S.A. 5903

6.  Pol. 218

7.  Pol. 233

8.  Pol. 317

9.  Pol. 103

10.   Pol. 103.1

11.   Pol. 104

12.   Pol. 249

13.  ​24 P.S. 4604

14.  ​24 P.S. 4610

 

15.  ​47 CFR 54.520

16.  ​24 P.S. 510

17.   Pol. 113

18.  ​24 P.S. 1303.1-A

19.   Pol. 814

20.  ​17 U.S.C. 101 et seq

18 Pa. C.S.A. 2709

24 P.S. 4601 et seq Pol. 220

 

For Parents and Guardians of School-Aged Children Under 13:

Educational web-based tools and applications provide our teachers with resources to enhance, enrich and differentiate curriculum delivery and instruction to our students. Our district carefully reviews online resources for the program's ability to meet our students’ needs while protecting the confidentiality of personally identifiable information. 

Some web-based programs require some student data to create accounts. KCSD does not require nor encourage students to provide additional personal information beyond what is required to create student accounts. Each provider offers information about their organization's collection, use, protection, and disclosure of data through their unique privacy policies, which can be found on their websites. 

The Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a federal law that requires websites to notify parents and obtain parental consent when collecting personal information from children under the age of 13. 

Under the law, schools are permitted to provide consent to the collection of personal information on behalf of its students, eliminating the need for individual parent consent to be given directly to the web site provider.  Review the frequently asked questions offered by the Federal Trade Commission for more information. 

The District also provides Google Apps for Education to all of our students. Google Apps for Education is fully hosted on the Internet allowing students to access their files and a suite of productivity applications anytime, making it an excellent tool for homework, communication, and collaboration.

This service, as well as authorized third-party partner providers, allows the District to monitor and manage use of these services in accordance with our Acceptable Use Policy. Review Google's G-Suite for Education’s privacy policy. 

Visit the KCSD Approved Applications website for a list of approved web-based tools and applications most commonly used by our staff and students. This list of approved sites is updated regularly, so be sure to check back often for new websites and apps.

The KCSD Department of Technology supports district-issued devices for every K-12 student.  Students are expected to have their Chromebook with them in school and at home, charging fully every night.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide students with a loaner should they forget theirs at home. Students who repeatedly fail to bring their District device to school could have access to wifi restricted on their personal device.

Those experiencing issues with their District-issued device are asked to alert their teacher(s).

Students are also permitted to use their personal device in school for academic purposes as long as it is an approved device.

• Chromebooks that have not exceeded the AUE,
• Windows 8.1 or newer laptops, 
• Apple laptops and 
• iPads

At School

Students should follow these steps to join KCSD WiFi on any of our campuses: 

• Select the wireless network icon in your taskbar 
• Choose “KCSD Wifi” from the list of available options
• Log in using your KCSD username and password
• Please note: it is okay to accept the certificate, if this option appears

Guests in need of WiFi should request a temporary username and password from their host.

At Home

For members of our community in need of Internet at home, the KCSD Technology Department recommends use of the Comcast Internet Essentials Program. If approved, KCSD customers may receive six months of fast, reliable speeds up to 50 Mbps for free with a promo code and for $9.95 per month plus tax after. 

Some KCSD community members may also be eligible for the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), up to an additional $50 per month toward their Internet and leased Internet equipment until funding runs out. 

To apply, visit the Comcast website.

Want to choose a different language in your Chrome browser?  Follow these instructions:

• Open Chrome web browser
• Click on 3 dots in top right corner
• Click Settings
• Click Languages (If you see your preferred language listed, click on 3 dots next to it; if not, select Add languages and select from the list
• Next to your preferred language, check the box next to Display Google Chrome in this language
• Click Relaunch: Chrome Web browser will reopen in the language you selected

Instruction Flyer (English)

Instruction Flyer (Spanish)

The optional Kennett Chromebook Protection Plan (KCPP) is a $50 per student annual fee that provides protection for student’s District-provided Chromebook for a full year.

The KCPP provides 100% coverage for repairs or replacement of the District-provided Chromebook that would otherwise be the responsibility of the student and/or parent/legal guardian.

The KCPP does not cover negligent or intentional damage to the device, a device that was lost, or stolen devices without a police report, nor does the plan cover lost or damaged power cords.

If you would like to purchase KCPP,  you can do so via check or via credit card.   Please fill out the KCPP Commitment Form to begin the process and then follow guidance on payment.

Credit card payment can be accepted at our Hometown Ticketing App.