Etowah City School District Acceptable Use Policy for Access to Electronic Information Services and District Network
2012-2013
The Etowah City School Board of Education provides Internet access for the purpose of promoting the use of telecommunication and networking technology as a tool to enhance classroom teaching and learning.  All use of the network must be consistent with this purpose and be in accordance with this policy in an appropriate and responsible manner.
The use of the Internet and network is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in a cancellation of those privileges. Written guidelines will be provided to users stating rules of on-line behavior, access privileges and penalties for policy/procedurals violations.
The Internet provides students with access to an almost unlimited amount of information and educational resources.  It also provides the opportunity for collaboration with other students around the world. It also offers a lot of inappropriate materials and an opportunity to interact with individuals who wish to cause harm to others. The benefit, however, outweighs the negative aspects, and it is of the utmost importance to provide a safe environment for our students. We must also teach those students ways to protect themselves while on the Internet.
Families should be aware that some material accessible via the Internet may contain items that are illegal, defamatory, inaccurate, or potentially offensive to some people. In addition, it is possible to purchase certain goods and services via the Internet which could result in unwanted financial obligations for which a student’s parent or guardian would be liable.
While the District’s intent is to make Internet access available in order to further educational goals and objectives, students may find ways to access other materials as well. Even should the District institute technical methods of systems to regulate students’ Internet access, those methods could not guarantee compliance with the District’s Acceptable Use Policy.
Ultimately, however, parents and guardians of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media and information sources. Toward that end, the Etowah City School System makes the District’s complete Internet Policy and procedures available on request for review by all parents, guardians, and other members of the community; and provides parents and guardians the option of requesting for their minor children alternate activities not requiring Internet use.
The following uses of school-provided Internet access are NOT permitted:
o       To access, upload, download, or distribute pornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit material.
o       To transmit obscene, abusive, sexually explicit, or threatening language.
o       To violate any local, state, or federal statute.
o       To vandalize, damage, or disable the property of another individual or organization.
o       To access another individual’s materials, information, or files without permission.
o       To violate copyright laws or otherwise use the intellectual property of another individual or organization without permission.
Any violation of District policy and rules may result in loss of District-provided access to the Internet. Additional disciplinary action may be determined in keeping with existing procedures where applicable, law enforcement agencies may be involved. 
Notice: This policy and all its provisions are subordinate to local, state, and federal statutes. 
Questions or comments concerning this policy should be directed in writing to:

Dr. Mike Frazier, Director of Schools
858 8^th Street 
Etowah TN 37331
(423)263-5483
 or
Waylon Johnson, Technology Coordinator
858 8^th Street
Etowah, TN 37331
(423)263-5483