Terms and Conditions for Acceptable Use
Computer Networks and Internet Access

Smithville Independent School District’s electronic communication system is now available to students, staff in the Smithville I.S.D. and community members of Eastern Bastrop County. We believe this access offers vast, diverse, and unique resources which can support education. Our goal in providing this service to teachers and students is to promote educational excellence in the Smithville Independent School District by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, collaboration, and communication. We are also committed to decreasing the digital divide by providing training labs for evening and weekend access for parents and community members through the Smithville Community Network. Training for all users of the District’s system will emphasize ethical and safe use of this resource.

Any S.I.S.D. staff may apply for an Internet Account by reading this document of Terms and Conditions, attending an orientation class offered by the school district, and filling out and returning the attached staff member contract and application form. Any student may access the District’s network by reading or being taught this document of Terms and Conditions, and filling out and returning the attached student contract and application form. Community members of Eastern Bastrop County may use schedule instruction in Smithville I.S.D. computer labs by reading this document of Terms and Conditions, filling out and returning the attached community member contract and application form, demonstrating said understanding to the Information Systems Coordinator, and having district staff member on hand.

The Internet is an electronic highway connecting thousands of computers all over the world and millions of individual subscribers.

The S.I.S.D. Internet access account for staff members will allow the user to:

The S.I.S.D. Internet access account for student members will allow the user to:

The S.I.S.D. Internet access account for community members will allow the user to:

The educational value of appropriate information on the Internet is substantial. However, the Internet is composed of information provided by institutions and people all over the world and thus, also includes material that is not of educational value in the context of a public school setting. Among other things, there is information which may be judged as inaccurate, abusive, profane, sexually oriented or illegal. S.I.S.D. wishes to support students in responsible use of the Internet and does not condone or permit the use of inappropriate material. It is a joint responsibility of school personnel and the parent or guardian of each student to educate the student about his or her responsibility when using the Internet. In addition to student education, Internet access is available to students only on computers that are in highly traveled areas of the school building such as classrooms, computer labs, and the media centers (libraries). However, parents and guardians must be aware that while at school, direct supervision by school personnel of each student using the computers is not always possible. Thus, students are expected to use the resources in a manner consistent with this contract and will be held responsible for their use. Additionally, parents should discuss with their children their own expectations for their child's Internet use.

Internet access is coordinated through a complex association of government agencies, regional networks, and private corporations. The smooth operation of the network relies upon the proper conduct of the users who must adhere to strict guidelines. These guidelines are provided here so that you are aware of the responsibilities you are about to acquire. In general this requires efficient, ethical and legal utilization of the network resources. If an S.I.S.D. user violates any of these provisions, his or her account with the district computer networks may be suspended and future access could be denied. In addition, violation of any school rules while using the computer network or the Internet will result in appropriate school disciplinary action (see student code of conduct for specifics). Your signature(s) on the attached contract is (are) legally binding and indicates the party (parties) who signed has (have) read the terms and conditions carefully and understand(s) their significance.

Smithville I.S.D. Internet Access - Terms and Conditions

1.Acceptable Use - The purpose of the S.I.S.D. computer network and Internet access, is to support education in and among the schools of the Smithville Independent School District by providing access to unique resources and the opportunity for collaborative work. The use of your account must be in support of education and academic research and must be consistent with the educational objectives of the Smithville Independent School District. Use of other organization's networks or computing resources must comply with the rules appropriate for that network. Publication, ownership or transmission of any material in violation of any U.S. or state regulation is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade secret. All communications and information accessible via the network should be assumed to be private property. Use of the S.I.S.D. computer network for product advertisement or political lobbying is not allowed. Illegal activities are strictly prohibited. All communication must use appropriate language and be polite. Do not swear, use profanity, vulgarities, or harass other users. Playing games, downloading or streaming music or video, or using interactive chats is not acceptable use of the S.I.S.D. computer network.

Your electronic mail (e-mail) on the S.I.S.D. computer network is not guaranteed to be private. People who operate the system do have access to all e-mail and although e-mail is not read randomly, it can be accessed if a user is suspected of violating this contract. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to the proper authorities.

Internet activities that are permitted by the acceptable use policy include:

Internet activities that are not permitted by the acceptable use policy include:

Emerging technologies that may not fall into current categories of acceptable or unacceptable use by the acceptable use policy include:

As new uses for the internet become available, district technology staff along with campus and district staff will discuss the acceptability of the new technology.  Actions may include allowing the activity, monitoring of the activity, or not allowing the activity. 

Users who have any questions or doubts about whether a specific activity is permissible should consult a teacher or administrator.

2. Privileges - The use of the S.I.S.D. computer network is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use can result in a cancellation of those privileges. Also, additional disciplinary actions can be found in the student code of conduct. Based upon the acceptable use guidelines outlined in this document, the system administrators will deem what is inappropriate use of the network and take appropriate action. The system administrators or technology director may suspend or close any account at any time as required. They must notify the user in writing or in person within two weeks of the reasons for suspension or termination of an account. The administration or faculty of Smithville I.S.D. may also request the technology director to deny, revoke, or suspend specific user accounts. Students whose accounts are denied, suspended, or revoked do have the following rights:

To request in writing a written statement justifying the actions.

To submit a written appeal to the technology director and as a follow up to this letter to have a meeting with the technology director and the campus principal and any other interested staff. Students who are under 18 must have a parent or guardian present at the meeting.

3. Publication of Materials - Publication of any material, including e-mail, news and web pages, must contain the author's e-mail address. At this time, students must obtain teacher approval in order to post web pages to the district web server. This privilege is designed to enable students to learn the technology and express and present their academic work. Student web pages will not be linked to school or district home pages and students are responsible for the content of their pages. The following rules apply to web page publication:

4. Security - Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. If you feel you can identify a security problem on the S.I.S.D. computer network, you must notify the technology director or send e-mail to John Harkrider (Information Systems Coordinator). Do not demonstrate the problem to other users. Users may not, under any circumstances, use another individual's account. Do not give your password to any other individual. Attempts to log in to the system as any other user may result in suspension or cancellation of user privileges. Attempts to log in to the S.I.S.D. computer network as a system administrator will result in cancellation of user privileges. Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access to the S.I.S.D. computer network.

5.Vandalism - Vandalism may result in cancellation of privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to obtain, harm, or destroy data of another user, the S.I.S.D. network, equipment, data, or any other network that is connected to the Internet backbone. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses. Deliberate attempts to degrade or disrupt systems performances are violations of District policy and administrative regulations and may constitute criminal activity under applicable state and federal laws. Vandalism as defined above will result in cancellation of system use privileges and will require restitution for cost associated with the system restoration, as well as other appropriate consequences.

6. Reliability - Smithville Independent School District system is provided on an "as is, as available" basis. The District makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, including without limitation, those of merchant ability and fitness for a particular purpose with respect to any services provided by the system and any information or software contained therein. The District dose not warrant that the functions or services performed by, or that the information or software contained on the system will meet the system user’s requirements, or that the system will be uninterrupted or error free, or that defects will be corrected. S.I.S.D. will not be responsible for any damages you suffer. This includes loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, miss-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or your errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the S.I.S.D. computer network is at your own risk. S.I.S.D. Opinions, advice, services, and all other information expressed by the system users, information providers, service providers, or other third-party individuals in the system are those of the providers and not the district. The District will cooperate fully with local, state, and federal officials in any investigation concerning or relating to the misuse of the District’s electronic communications system.

7. Indemnity - The S.I.S.D. computer network user and if a minor, his or her parent or legal guardian, specifically agree(s) to indemnify Smithville Independent School District or any of its employees for any losses, costs, or damages, including reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Smithville Independent School District and employees relating to, or arising out of any breach of this contract.

8. Exception of Terms and Conditions - All terms and conditions as stated in this document are applicable to the Smithville Independent School District. These terms and conditions reflect the entire agreement of the parties and supersede all prior oral or written agreements and understandings of the parties. These terms and conditions shall be governed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas.

In review, applicants (students, staff and community) are advised that the S.I.S.D. computer network and Internet access is provided for the specific purpose of supporting the educational mission of the Smithville Independent School District. All users are expected to abide by the terms and conditions above. If the perspective users cannot abide by any or all of the terms and conditions set forth in this document, then he or she is advised to acquire Internet access through a commercial Internet Service Provider as an alternative to using the S.I.S.D. computer network.

Any questions can be addressed to  John R. Harkrider, Information Systems Coordinator, at 237-2487 ext 113.

SISD Acceptable Use - Version 6 (03/27/2006)

This page last updated:  March 28, 2006