NJ-SP School Board Updates Technology Use Policy

North Judson-San Pierre Admin buildingThe North Judson-San Pierre School Board better defined some priorities when it comes to using their technology.

School corporations around the state are required to maintain an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to protect schools, but also define how students and faculty can use the technology provided to them.

NJ-SP Superintendent Lynn Johnson says changing technology partially prompted revisiting the policy.

“The major revisions [are] that we took out some things that are no longer required, and now that we are wireless, things are a little bit different,” says Johnson.

North Judson-San Pierre last reviewed their Acceptable Use Policy in 2011. The policy recommendations come courtesy of NEOLA: an organization that works to identify gaps in government internal policy.

The AUP notifies employees their e-mails will be archived, and indemnifies the district against viruses and other potentially illegal activity that may occur on their networks and computers.

Johnson says the district doesn’t have to update the policy annually.

“It just depends on what changes,” says Johnson. “It really depends on NEOLA what they bring to us. If they have things that are required by the government then, of course, it has to be re-approved.”

Updates to the AUP were recommended by the school corporation’s Technology Committee. That group consists of chosen representatives of each school.

The policy will now be utilized by the technology department to execute what is thought to be more effective guidelines for the school corporation’s staff.