The Sarasota County School Board allows schools and the District Communications Department to use online social media to provide information to district families, students, staff and other members of the Sarasota County Schools community.

I. Definitions

A. “Social media” include various online communications sites that enable subscribers to deliver information immediately through the Internet to an unknown number of fellow subscribers.

B. “District technology” is technology owned or provided by the Sarasota County School District.

C. “Personal technology” is any device that is owned by the user or provided by a third party other than the District.

D. “Two-way communication” include conversations online.

II. Authorization of District Sites

A. District-related accounts on social media sites, including school accounts and accounts for clubs, teams, field trips, instructional courses, or other organizations or activities associated with the District or a district school must be authorized by the principal and his or her respective District-level supervisor. The content of the account is the responsibility of the designated content manager and his or her principal.

B. No district-related account for TikTok, any successor platform, or any other platform on the prohibited list as stated by the Florida Department of Management Services can be authorized, created, or used to communicate or promote any school district, school, school-sponsored club, extracurricular organization, or athletic team.

C. The District retains the right to utilize TikTok, any successor platform, or any other platform on the prohibited list as stated by the Florida Department of Management Services if the user is a law enforcement officer and the use of the application is necessary to protect the public safety or conduct an investigation within the scope of his or her employment.

D. The District must request a waiver from the Florida Department of Management Services to allow designated employees to access and monitor TikTok, any successor platform, or any other platform on the prohibited list as stated by the Florida Department of Management Services on a government-issued device.

III. Relationship to Foundation and PTA Accounts

Authorized school social media accounts shall maintain a clear separation from any social media accounts managed by school foundations, booster clubs, parent-teacher groups or other affiliated organizations. Links to such affiliated accounts are permissible.

IV. Maintenance and Monitoring

A. District accounts are intended to be two-way communication tools. Comments and feedback are invited and encouraged. We want to inform, engage and inspire our online audience through creative, relevant and relatable content.

B. Content managers are responsible for monitoring and maintaining district-related accounts on social media sites.

C. Content must conform to applicable state and federal laws, including copyright and intellectual property laws, as well as Board policies and administrative procedures.

D. All content on District accounts, including any posting therein by third parties, are public records which must be retained pursuant to law.

E. The District reserves the right to remove posted content or comments on district sites due to the material being obscene, sexual in nature, a solicitation of commerce, or threatening or compromising to the safety and security of the district or school.

F. Failure to appropriately manage a social media account may result in cancellation of the account and/or disciplinary action.

V. Acceptable Use

A. District policies and procedures described in the School Board Policies and Procedures, the Employee Handbook, the District Acceptable Use Policy, and the District Staff Social Media Guidelines, including consequences for violations, apply equally to staff conduct on social media sites.

B. The contents of the District technology system are public records. District technology may only be used for legitimate school business. Users have no expectation of privacy.

C. Messages distributed with personal technology or originating off school property may nevertheless warrant disciplinary action if school or district authorities reasonably believe the content of the message has caused or will cause material disruption of school activities or interferes with staff members’ ability to perform their job duties.