Wireless communication devices ("WCDs") (i.e. cellular and wireless telephones, pager/beepers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), Blackberries/Smartphones, WiFi-enabled or broadband access devices, etc.) enable communication whenever a situation arises necessitating immediate contact, regardless of the person's location at the time. Therefore, the Superintendent and administrators who meet one or more of the following criteria are required as a condition of employment to own a WCD and obtain an appropriate service plan so that the WCD is available for use for business-related communications:

Administrators who are required to have a WCD as a condition of their employment shall receive an annual wireless communication allowance ("allowance"), up to an amount approved by the School Board to compensate them for the costs associated with acquiring and utilizing a WCD for business purposes.

The allowance is not intended to compensate the employee's dollar-for-dollar cost for wireless service.

The allowance does not constitute an increase to base pay, and will not be included in the calculation of percentage increases to base pay due to annual raises, job upgrades or benefits based on a percentage of salary, etc. The Board will pay only the Board-approved allowance even if actual monthly costs exceed the allowance.

Staff members who receive an allowance are not required to submit a log documenting their business-related use of the WCD; however, they will be informed that the allowance is considered additional compensation for income tax purposes (i.e. the allowance will be paid through the Corporation's payroll system as taxable income and appropriate payroll taxes on the amount of the allowance will be withheld from the employee's paycheck, and the amount of the allowance paid during the calendar year will be included in the wages line on the staff members' year-end W-2 statements). For determination of individual taxability, employees should check with their tax advisor.

The employee is responsible for choosing his/her WCD, the voice and/or data plan, and the wireless service provider. Since the WCD is the property of the employee, the WCD may be used for personal calls (see below concerning the making of personal calls during work time) and be combined or enhanced with other personal plans (i.e. the employee may also, at his/her own expense, add extra services or equipment features, as desired). The employee is responsible for paying all monthly service charges in full and on time. The Board does not accept any liability for claims, charges, or disputes between the service provider and the staff member. Because the employee is personally responsible for the WCD, any replacement for loss or damage will be at the expense of the employee. Such replacement or repair must be completed promptly and the Superintendent must be notified if the employee will not be available by their WCD for a period of time.

Employees should contact the carrier through which they purchased their WCD and purchase their wireless service for support.

If prior to the end of a wireless service contract, a personal decision by the employee results in the need to end or change the WCD contract, the employee will bear the costs of any fees associated with the change or cancellation.

When selecting the duration of his/her wireless service contract, the employee should take into consideration the length of his/her Board-approved employment contract and not select a duration of the wireless service contract that exceeds the employment contract. If the employee is nonrenewed, discharged, or voluntarily resigns while the wireless service contract is still in effect, the Board will not be responsible for any fees associated with the employee's decision to subsequently change or cancel the contract.

Once the allowance is given to the employee to purchase a device, the WCD remains the employee's property.

Employee safety is a priority of the Board, and responsible use of WCDs includes safe use.

Employees whose job responsibilities include regular or occasional driving and who use a personal WCD for business use are expected to refrain from using their device while driving. Safety must come before all other concerns.

Employees are subject to all applicable policies and guidelines pertaining to protection of the security, integrity and availability of the data stored on their WCDs.

Wireless communications, including calls, text messages, instant messages, and e-mails sent from WCDs, may not be secure. Therefore, employees should use discretion in relaying confidential information, particularly as it relates to students.

Additionally, wireless communications, including text messages, instant messages and e-mails sent and/or received by a public employee or school official using his/her personal WCD may constitute public records if the content of the message concerns Corporation business, or an education record if the content includes personally identifiable information about a student. Wireless communications that are public records are subject to retention and disclosure, upon request, in accordance with Policy 8310 – Public Records. Wireless communications that are student records should be maintained pursuant to Policy 8330 – Students Records. Finally, wireless communications and other electronically stored information (ESI) stored on the staff member's personal WCD may be subject to a Litigation Hold pursuant to Policy 8315 – Information Management. Staff are required to comply with Corporation requests to produce copies of wireless communications in their possession that are either public records or education records, or that constitute ESI that is subject to a Litigation Hold.

Except in emergency situations, employees are prohibited from using WCDs to capture, record or transmit the words (i.e. audio) and/or images (i.e. pictures/video) of any student, staff member or other person in the school or while attending a school-related activity, without express prior notice and explicit consent for the capture, recording or transmission of such words or images. Using a WCD to take or transmit audio and/or pictures/video of an individual without his/her consent is considered an invasion of privacy and is not permitted, unless authorized by the Superintendent.

The use of WCDs that contain built-in cameras (i.e. devices that take still or motion pictures, whether in a digital or other format) is prohibited in locker rooms and/or, bathrooms.

Board employees may carry personal WCDs with them while at work but are subject to the following restrictions:

At no time may any WCD be utilized by an employee in a way that might reasonably create in the mind of another person an impression of being threatened, humiliated, harassed, embarrassed or intimidated.

Violation of this policy may constitute just cause for disciplinary action up to and including termination. Use of a WCD in any manner contrary to local, State or Federal laws will constitute misuse, and will result in immediate termination of the allowance.

The Corporation will provide Board-owned WCDs to certain employees who require specific equipment or similar technology to perform Corporation functions (e.g., school safety, physical plant maintenance, etc.) and never expect to use these devices for personal use. The Superintendent must approve such exceptions. Employees who qualify for this exception must submit to the Treasurer’s Office monthly documentation in the form of a copy of their respective WCD usage logs, verifying business use. The log must note the date/time of the phone call, to whom the call was placed or from whom the call was received, a brief statement of the purpose of the call. If an employee fails to keep current with this documentation requirement, s/he will be required to return the WCD.

If a personal call inadvertently occurs, restitution must be made to the Corporation.

Adopted 9/22/09