Rocky Mountain School District board holds off on adopting social media policy

Pioneer Staff

The third reading and adoption of the proposed social media policy for Rocky Mountain School District No. 6 has been delayed until mid-May.

The board decided to table it to allow for further opportunity for input, said school district superintendent Paul Carriere. There had been some feedback coming in right at the time of the last meeting (Tuesday, April 14th). That may have been one of the reasons the board decided to push it back.

The policy had been given second reading at a prior school board meeting on Tuesday, March 10th and was scheduled for third reading and adoption at the April 14th meeting before it was delayed.

Mr. Carriere said a number of people had provided input on the policy, but that in general terms he wouldnt characterize it as a lot.

The next school district board meeting is set for Tuesday, May 12th at Alexander Park Elementary School in Golden.

As reported in the March 20th edition of The Pioneer, at the March 10th board meeting, Golden trustee Shannon Hood had raised concerns about parts of the policy, saying she found it troubling that, for instance, a teacher or school district staff member could be fired based on something they texted using their personal mobile device.

In comments to The Pioneer, Ms. Hood expressed confidence that input and feedback given to school districts policy committee will address her concerns.

Theres already been some changes (in the policy), she said.

The draft version of the policy included in the agenda for the April 14th meeting had a sentence removed that read: (School district) employees should be aware that there is not an expectation of privacy in social media use and electronic communications.

There were also minor changes to section 5.2 of the policy, which now reads that all communications with students and parents through social media and through other electronic communications must be formal, courteous, and respectful and appropriate. They should not involve or be linked to social media sites of a personal nature that may be maintained by the employee. For example, employees should not invite, or accept invitations from, students to participate as friends on a personal Facebook page.

Windermere Teachers Association (the local teachers union) president Doug Murray could not be reached for comment.