Policy 8.125

District Review and Filtering of Web Sites

1. With input from the School District of Palm Beach County's Information Technology (IT) Department, the District will purchase and use a filter to determine the appropriateness of web sites to be viewed by students and District employees. Criteria used to select the filter and provider of the filter will be based upon: budgetary considerations, security, research on industry standards, product reviews, other school districts' filtering requirements and evaluation, outcome of a live demonstration, the accuracy of the filter's categories to minimize false positives, and effectiveness in filtering compatibility with current District technology as well as any purchasing criteria required by School Board Policy 6.14 (Purchasing Department) and the State Board of Education within SBER 6A-1.012.
2. IT shall utilize filters, firewalls, and other technology devices to attempt to block any Web-transmitted malware, including but not limited to malicious software, spam, viruses, worms, spyware, and adware, and to disallow any attempts to circumvent these devices.
3. Standards for determining what Web sites will attempt to be blocked through the use of the filter, as implemented by the District's IT department, are set forth on the Website Review checklist, form PBSD 2247, which is incorporated herein by reference. The form can also be accessed on the District's web site at: http://itsecurity.palmbeach.k12.fl.us. The filtering provider's categories for classifying web sites, however, may be broader than the areas listed within the checklist. As a result, the filter may block some Web sites not meeting the standards within the checklist; but requests may be made to unblock those sites by following the procedures within Section (5) below.
4. IT shall also consider the intended recipient in determining whether a site is to be blocked by the filter for a particular group.
5. Specific requests for whether a Web site should be blocked or unblocked may be made to IT by District employees. Employees can e-mail their request to blocked@palmbeach.k12.fl.us and state the link to the requested Web site, whether it should be blocked or unblocked, and the reason, if known. Requests from schools must come through the Principal. Students and staff members may make requests to the Principal, and students may do so anonymously. The Principal may review the requested site and, based on the same criteria used by the IT Department--and none other--may choose not to forward the request to IT. If not forwarded, the review should be documented on the Website Review checklist and retained by the Principal, and the requester, if known, should be notified. Alternatively, the Principal may forward the request to IT for a more-detailed review. IT will, in a reasonable period of time, review the request using the aforementioned criteria and standards and complete the Website Review checklist to determine whether the site should be blocked or unblocked.  After this review of a specific request, the site should not be blocked for any reason other than those within the checklist.
6. If IT finds it difficult to assess the site using the criteria, the decision will be referred to the District's Sensitive Topics Committee. The Superintendent will select this Committee made up of representatives from middle and high school principals and academic departments, and the Committee may receive advice from IT and School Board counsel. This Committee will make the determination to block or unblock sites based only upon the aforementioned criteria included within the checklist.
7. The District will promptly notify the requester, if known, of the decision to block or unblock a site. This decision by a Principal or IT may be appealed, in writing by the requester, to the Sensitive Topics Committee within 15 days of the decision. Decisions made by the Sensitive Topics Committee may be appealed by the requester, in writing within 15 days of the decision, to the Superintendent's designee. All appeals will be reviewed using only the same aforementioned criteria in the checklist. Appeal decisions will be rendered within 20 days of the receipt of the appeal and will be provided to the requester, if known.
8. If a requester later demonstrates that relevant new information has been added or deleted from the Web site, the District will process, according to the above procedures, a new request to review a Web site previously reviewed.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Fla. Stat. §§ 1001.32 (2); 1001.41(1) & (2); 1001.42(4) & (23); 1001.43 (1), (3) & (6)

LAWS IMPLEMENTED: Fla. Stat. §§ 1001.41 (1); 1001.42 (4) & (6); 1001.43(1) & (3); 1002.31

RULE SUPPLEMENTED: SBER 6A-1.012

HISTORY: 12/5/2007