IIBGC Staff Online Activities

IIBGC 
Staff Online Activities  
(See GAF, GBU, IIBG, IIBGA, and KGA)

Employees are encouraged to use district electronic mail and other district technology and resources to promote student learning and to communicate with parents of students and education-related entities. If those resources are used, they shall be used for purposes directly related to work-related activities.  Technology-based materials, activities, and communication tools utilized by employees with students shall be used in accordance with law and appropriate for and within the range of the knowledge, understanding, age, and maturity of students with whom they are used.

District employees, including, but not limited to, administrators, classroom teachers, and extracurricular and co-curricular activity coaches and sponsors, may set up social media accounts using district technological resources, following district policy and procedures to promote and enhance communications with students, parents, and the community concerning school-related programs and activities as well as for the purpose of supplementing classroom instruction.  Social media sites and other online communication options offering instructional benefits may be used for the purpose of supplementing classroom instruction and to promote communications with students and parents concerning school-related activities, as allowed by law and this policy.

Definitions
For purposes of this policy, a “social media platform” is any online website or application that permits a person to become a registered user, create an account or profile for the primary purpose of creating, sharing, or interacting with user-generated content that is publicly viewable. “Social media platform” includes, but is not limited to, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (Twitter). “Social media platform” does not include:

• Any online website or application whose primary purpose is educational;
• Any platform approved by the board if such platform:
• Is owned, licensed, or contractually controlled by the school district;
• allows for required user accounts;
• allows communications to be monitored, archived, retained, or audited in compliance with policy or law;
• is accessible to parents or guardians; and
• used by employees in accordance with policy;
• email;
• direct messaging services that only share messages between a sender and a named recipient and does not display or post messages publicly or to users not identified as recipients by the sender of the message; and
• any online product or service that does not have school-specific features or identifiers and the predominant purpose is to post educational materials, news, resources and user comments, or other interactive functionality that is incidental to such predominant purpose.

For purposes of this policy, “official school purposes” means the broadcasting or posting of public, one-way communications that pertain to school functions, activities, or events. “Official school purposes” does not include private communications, direct communications, or two-way communications with any student.

Use of Social Media for District Purposes
In order for district employees to utilize a social media platform for instructional, administrative, or other work-related communication purposes, they shall comply with the following:

• They shall request permission from the superintendent or the superintendent’s designee(s) prior to using any social media platform for district purposes.
• If permission is granted, staff members will set up the page or account following all district policy, administrative procedures, and directives.  This shall include, but may not be limited to, limiting the employee to using only board approved social media platforms for official school purposes and giving administrative access and editing rights to designated district or school officials.
• If the expenditure of district funds is required to complete the setup or maintenance of the page or account, the requesting staff member shall present an itemized summary of such costs to the superintendent for appropriate approval. 
• Once the page or account is in use, the sponsoring staff member is responsible for the following:
  • Monitoring and managing the page or account to promote safe and acceptable use and compliance with district policies, administrative guidelines, directives, and applicable law; and
  • Observing confidentiality restrictions concerning release of personally identifiable student information under state and federal law.

Prohibitions Regarding Social Media Platforms
No employee of the district shall privately or directly communicate with any student through a social media platform, except as expressly permitted under this policy.  This prohibition applies regardless of whether communication occurs during or outside the school day.

No employee shall require a student to use a social media platform for any assignment or extracurricular activity.

The provisions of this policy do not apply to any virtual school, as defined by Kansas law.   

Uses of Social Media Platforms for Official School Purposes
The board may approve specific social media platforms for employee use for official school purposes, and employees are expected to utilize only board approved social media platforms in the performance of any district related work responsibilities, including the posting of information on behalf of district programs, clubs, and activities.

Board-approved social media platforms may be used by employees only for the following purposes:

• Posting or broadcasting one-way, public communications; and
• sharing general information related to school programs, activities, or events.
• Employees shall not use social media platforms for any form of two-way interaction with students, including but not limited to:
• Private or direct messaging;
• comment-based conversations; or
• other two-way exchange of individualized messages with a student.

Other Online Platforms

• Employees may communicate with students through platforms that are not classified as social media platforms, provided such use complies with board policy and applicable law. These platforms may include:
• District email accounts;
• district learning management systems;
• board approved messaging, notification, or collaboration platforms; and
• direct messaging applications.

Training and Compliance
The superintendent or designee shall provide training to employees regarding acceptable social media platform communication practices as necessary for implementation of new requirements and then periodically thereafter.

Disciplinary Actions
Staff members are strongly discouraged from creating personal social media accounts with which they connect with current or future students. Employees taking such action do so at their own risk. All employees shall be subject to disciplinary action if their conduct relating to use of technology, social media, or online resources violates board policy, administrative regulations and/or procedures, or supervisory directives; Kansas law regarding social media platform use by school employees; statutory or regulatory provisions governing employee conduct or the protection of student record information; or if it impairs the staff member’s job performance or effectiveness in the work setting. 

District staff shall protect the health, safety, and emotional well-being of students and confidentiality of student information both in the school setting and in their offsite, online actions. Conduct in violation of this policy, including, but not limited to, acts relating to the use of technology, any social media platform, or online resources, may form the basis for disciplinary action up to and including termination from employment.

To ensure consistent, secure, and accessible communication with students, families, staff, and the community, Dodge City Public Schools has designated specific platforms for official district communications.

District-approved social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X, will be used for one-way communication, public information sharing, celebrations, announcements, and promotion of district programs, activities, and events. As stated in this policy, employees shall not use social media platforms for any form of two-way interaction with students, including, but not limited to: Private or direct messaging; comment-based conversations; or other two-way exchange of individualized messages with a student.

ParentSquare, StudentSquare, and district generated and monitored email accounts are the district’s approved platforms for direct communication with parents, guardians, students, and staff. Communications requiring responses, student-specific information, school-to-home messaging, classroom updates, notifications, and other interactive communications shall be conducted through ParentSquare and StudentSquare. District employees should utilize these approved platforms to ensure communication is consistent, secure, documented, and accessible to all stakeholders.

Policy References: GAF and GBU

Policy References: IIBG and IIBGA

Policy Reference: KGA

Adoption Date: 8/12/2013 Revised: 5/11/2026; 7/2026 DC