7530.01 - ELIGIBILITY FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICES (WCD)

Genesee Intermediate School District

Bylaws & Policies

7530.01 - ELIGIBILITY FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICES (WCD)

The Board of Education will provide wireless communication devices (WCD) (i.e. cellular telephones, pager/beepers, personal digital assistants, Blackberries, WiFi-enabled or broadcast access devices, etc.) to employees who by the nature of their job have a routine and continuing business need for the use of such devices for official Board business. WCDs are provided as a tool to conduct Board business and to enhance business efficiencies. Therefore, the Superintendent, administrators, and certain other staff as determined by department heads, who meet one or more of the following criteria that includes having a signed "acceptable use policy" on file with the District, will be provided a WCD with an appropriate service plan so that the WCD is available for use for business-related communications:

	A.	their jobs require them to spend a considerable amount of time outside of their assigned office or work area during normal working hours and have regular access to telephone and/or Internet connections while outside their office or assigned work area;
	B.	their jobs require them to be accessible outside of scheduled or normal working hours or to be contacted and respond in the event of an emergency;
	C.	their jobs consistently require timely and business critical two (2) way communication for which there is no reasonable alternative technology;
		(This is not intended to include occasional, incidental access or purely voluntary access such as checking e-mail from home).

		1.	safety requirements indicate having a WCD is an integral part of meeting the requirements of the employee's job description;
		2.	the employee is required to be contacted on a regular basis outside normal work hours;
		3.	the employee is required to be on-call 24/7; or
		4.	the employee's job requirements include critical District-wide decision-making.

Safe Use of Wireless Communications Devices

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

	A.	Employees whose job responsibilities include regular or occasional driving and who use a WCD are expected to refrain from use of the device while driving. Safety must come before all other concerns. Regardless of the circumstances, including slow or stopped traffic, employees are strongly encouraged to pull off to the side of the road and safely stop the vehicle before accepting or placing a call, reading or sending e-mail, or web browsing. Special care should be taken in situations where there is traffic, inclement weather, or the employee is driving in an unfamiliar area. In the interest of safety for both Board employees, other drivers and possibly students, employees are required to comply with all applicable laws while driving.
	B.	Transportation employees are required to follow cell phone use regulations found in the Transportation Guidelines.

Duty to Maintain Confidentiality of Student "Personally Identifiable" Information - Public and Student Records Requirements

Employees are subject to all applicable policies and guidelines including the Acceptable Use Policy, 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, especially 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 this WCD or a personal WCD may constitute public records if the content of the WCD includes "personally identifiable information" about a student.

Except in emergency situations, employees are prohibited from using WCDs to capture, record or transmit the words and/or images of any student, staff member or other person in the school or while attending a school-related activity without express prior notice and explicit parental and administrative 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 building principal or Superintendent.

Using WCDs or any other device to capture, record or transmit the words and/or images of any student, staff member or other person in the school or while attending a school-related activity, must not occur in any areas where the individual may have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as locker rooms, restrooms, private conversations not conducted in public areas unless specifically authorized by the Superintendent.

Potential Disciplinary Action/Termination of Access to WCDs

The District will audit WCD detailed records to be certain that the equipment is being utilized for Board business in line with this policy. Violation of the policy may constitute just cause for corrective action against the employee, up to and including termination of employment. Use of a District-owned WCD in any manner contrary to local, State or Federal laws will constitute misuse, and will result in immediate termination of eligibility as well as possible corrective action.

Adopted 7/13/09