Dear Staff:

This school year we have made a transition to a new content filter. Please know that we are required by the federal government to filter certain types of Internet sites: most notably sites considered to be obscene, sites that contain pornography, and any sites deemed harmful to minors. Each of the terms mentioned are legal items and are defined via case law. Our new content filter, as do all filtering solutions, places web sites into categories and the school division determines which categories to block or not to block. We continue to monitor the filter to ensure that we do not put students or staff at risk and we make adjustments to web sites improperly placed in blocked categories.

The new content filter has a much more robust reporting capability. This reporting capability allows the school division a greater opportunity to ensure optimal network performance. More important to note, as it is stated in the Responsible Use Policy, every web site that you visit while using school division technology is logged and can be accessed by DART staff. DART staff will periodically review the logs to verify the technical operations and ensure the network is functioning properly. During this time, staff reviews the data to ensure that neither staff nor students are violating the Responsible Use Policy by using the school division’s technology for purposes not consistent with our educational mission.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email, call, or set up an appointment to discuss the matter further.

Respectfully,

Vince

Vincent Scheivert
Chief Information Officer
434-975-9446