| Sylvania City School District |
| Bylaws & Policies |
9111 - TELEPHONE SYSTEM AND USAGE
The Board of Education promotes the use of its telephone system as a means to assist administrators and the professional staff in enhancing their delivery of instruction, and their communication with parents/caretakers and other persons with whom an exchange of information might benefit a student. The availability of a modern, readily accessible telephone system also serves to protect the health and well-being of District employees and students faced with an emergency situation while on school property. When used properly, the District’s telephone system should serve to improve the quality of the school environment and experience for students and members of the professional staff.
The Superintendent is directed to establish administrative guidelines implementing this policy. The guidelines shall, at a minimum, define "emergency situations" and "personal use", and ensure that staff and students are making appropriate and ethical use of the telephone system and ancillary equipment, consistent with the following.
| A. | Telephones are to be used only by the District’s administrators, professional, and classified staff. Phone use by students is prohibited, except as directed by an administrator or member of the professional staff, or in emergency situations as directed by an administrator or member of the professional or classified staff unless aid is being sought for said person(s). | |
| B. | If so equipped, and where applicable, all District staff shall be responsible for updating voice mail greetings, answering voice mail messages, and updating "Homework Hotline" or similar instructionally relevant capabilities as agreed upon by the Board and relevant bargaining units. | |
| C. | During any scheduled duty period, telephones should not ring into classrooms, except as necessary in emergency situations. | |
| D. | Telephones may be used by members of the professional and classified staffs for personal use only outside scheduled duty periods except in emergency situations. In all cases, use of District telephones for personal use shall be kept to a minimum. | |
| E. | The regular or reoccurring use of District telephones for the purpose of engaging in any activities related to any business or enterprise in which a member of the professional or classified staff has a personal pecuniary interest is prohibited. | |
| F. | District telephone equipment shall not be used to engage in or promote partisan political activity or advocate for or against any political candidate or issue. | |
| G. | Under no circumstances shall District telephones be used for the purpose of making calls to conduct any illegal, unethical, or inappropriate activity (e.g., gambling, "900" telephone numbers, etc.) |
The Superintendent shall establish and implement procedures for logging/tracking telephone usage.
Personal telephone calls made in accordance with these guidelines and for which a charge or fee is imposed (e.g. long distance calls) shall not be charged to the District. Such calls may only be made if they are charged to a personal credit card, a phone card, or some other means of allocating the charge for the call to the user.
Disciplinary action will be taken against employees or students if the District’s telephone system is abused in any way or used in an illegal or unethical manner.
Adopted 12/14/99