Kimberly School District Policy 5290P
Employee Use of Social Media Sites, Including Personal Sites
Think Before Posting and Remember Your Audience
Privacy does not exist in the world of social media; therefore, the District recommends that employees consider what could happen if a post becomes widely known. Public persona is representative of our district and patrons. Search engines can retrieve posts years after they are created, and comments can be easily forwarded or copied. Be aware that a post on social media is easily available to the public at large. This includes students, fellow employees, and peers. Consider this before publishing to ensure the post will not unnecessarily alienate, harm, or provoke any of these groups.
Contact with Students
Pursuant to the Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators, individuals shall maintain a professional relationship with all students, both inside and outside of the classroom. In order to avoid the appearance of partiality or impropriety, all electronic communications with students should be through the official District e-mail or your work phone. Do not list current students as friends on social media, do not give students your personal e-mail address or phone number, and do not text students.
Keep Personal and Professional Use Separate
Staff members who decide to engage in personal social media activities will maintain separate professional and personal email addresses. Staff members will not use their District email address for personal social media activities. Such uses will be considered a violation of District policy and may result in disciplinary action. The District reserves the right to monitor communications transmitted and received through the District network. This may include social media messages and updates sent to a District e-mail account.
District Social Media Sites
Notify the District: Employees that have or would like to start a school social media page should contact their administrator or designee. All District pages must have an appointed employee who is responsible for content. Districts should outline the duties of the employee responsible for the site, including how often the site must be checked for comments and who is allowed to post to the site. The administration reserves the right to shut down or discontinue the site if he or she believes it is in the best overall interest of the students.
Have a Plan: Districts should consider their messages, audiences, and goals as well as their strategy for keeping information on social media sites up to date, accurate, and in the best interest of the students. User/login information will be housed with each building’s administrative office. Social media will portray the district in a positive manner through celebrating achievements and communicating with patrons.
Employee posts on District affiliated social media sites should remain professional. Carefully consider the naming of pages or accounts, the selection of pictures or icons, compliance with District policy and State and federal laws regarding student and employee confidentiality and the determination of content.
Procedure History:
Adopted on: January 18, 2023
Revised on: