1113 - Community Relations - Websites

The San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) recognizes the importance of the World Wide Web as an effective communication method to inform the public about issues impacting public education and services provided by the County Superintendent of Schools. To enhance communication and the delivery of information and resources to students, parents/guardians, staff, clients and community members, SBCSS shall design, develop and maintain websites. The use of such websites shall support the organization’s mission, strategic initiatives and objectives, and shall be coordinated with other organizational goals and communication plans.

Design Standards
The Superintendent or designee shall establish design and technical standards for organizational websites in order to maintain corporate branding, consistent identity, professional appearance, and ease of use. Standards shall address the accessibility of websites to individuals with disabilities, including compatibility with commonly used assistive technologies.

Guidelines for Content
The Superintendent or designee shall develop content guidelines for all official SBCSS websites. These guidelines shall be consistent with state and federal law, and Superintendent’s policies and procedures. The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that content posted for publication on SBCSS websites adheres to guidelines and policies.

Official SBCSS websites may not contain content that is obscene, libelous or discriminatory. Staff or students who post prohibited content shall be subject to discipline in accordance with SBCSS policies and procedures.

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that copyright laws are not violated in the use of or posting of materials on official SBCSS websites.
Any links to external websites shall support the mission and objectives of SBCSS. The SBCSS website shall include a disclaimer that SBCSS is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Advertising and promotion of non-sponsored SBCSS programs and products is prohibited on official SBCSS websites.

Privacy Rights
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the privacy rights of students, parents/guardians, staff, Board members, and other individuals are protected on all official SBCSS websites.

Telephone numbers and home and email addresses of students and/or their parents/guardians shall not be published on district or school websites.

Photographs of individual students shall not be published with their names or other personally identifiable information without the prior written consent of the student's parent/guardian.

Photographs of groups of students, such as at a school event, may be published provided that students' names are not included.

Staff members' home addresses or telephone numbers shall not be posted on official SBCSS websites.

The home address or telephone number of any elected or appointed official including, but not limited to, a Board member or public safety official, shall not be posted on official SBCSS websites without the prior written permission of that individual.

Legal References:

Education Code
35258 Internet access to school accountability report cards
48907 Exercise of free expression; rules and regulations
48950 Speech and other communication
49061 Definitions, directory information
49073 Release of directory information
60048 Commercial brand names, contracts or logos

Government Code
6254.21 Publishing addresses and telephone numbers of officials
6254.24 Definition of public safety official
11135 Nondiscrimination; accessibility to state websites

Penal Code
14029.5 Prohibition against publishing personal information of person in witness protection program
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 17
101-1101 Federal copyright law
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
1232g Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 29
794 Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; accessibility to federal websites
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42
12101-12213 Americans with Disabilities Act
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 16
312.1-312.12 Children's Online Privacy
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 34
99.1-99.67 Family Educational Rights and Privacy
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PUBLICATIONS
Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites to People with Disabilities, June 2003
WORLD WIDE WEB CONSORTIUM PUBLICATIONS
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, December 2008

Websites
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
California Department of Education, Web Accessibility Standards: http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/ws/webaccessstds.asp
California School Public Relations Association: http://www.calspra.org
National School Public Relations Association: http://www.nspra.org
U.S. Department of Justice, Americans with Disabilities Act: http://www.ada.gov
World Wide Web Consortium, Web Accessibility Initiative: http://www.w3.org/wai

Approved: June 26, 2014