The Ellsworth Community School District Board of Education unanimously approved some changed to its social media policies at its meeting last Monday night.

In addition to updating some definitions and including guidance for things like “apps” and making sure district websites are Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, the new policy also governs how staff can use social media.

One part deals with staff rights to free speech.

“Really the underlying language is just a statement that is really shared with staff that obviously staff has First Amendment rights but at the same time inflammatory type use on social media, people can be held accountable for that,” said Cain.

The policy also governs when and how staff can utilize social media.

“Basically the board at the last board meeting decided that staff could not use district technology for social media that is of personal use,” said Cain.

They can use their own devices in school building but only during break time.

They are permitted to use personal communication devices to access social media for personal use during breaks and mealtimes,” Cain said. “In other words, staff during the day when they’re working should not be on social media. But they could be on social media during breaks.”

The district also must keep records of its social media sites.

“So, for example, we have a Facebook page for our district, with records retention law in the State of Wisconsin, all social media follows that records retention now.”

He said that the district will have to monitor various school pages, because it will have to pay to retain the information and comments on the site.

“We have to make sure there’s a value in them and they’re well-maintained,” said Cain.

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER – The school board unanimously approved naming The Journal as the official school newspaper. Cain noted that Pierce County legal notices now appear in the Journal, and the Village of Ellsworth picked The Journal as its official newspaper this month.

Cain recommended that the district go with The Journal, largely because for elections and referendums, the county and village will be using The Journal. As it is now, district notices are published in newspapers in Hudson and Red Wing, MN.

“Two things we need to look at, the straight concern from Deb (administrative assistant Deborah Ristow) and I working on this is with the county board and the village moving to the Pierce County journal, we’re in a position where election notices and referendum notices, you’d have them in two different newspapers. That’s a concern to us,” said Cain, noting that voters could be confused by that.

Board member and treasurer Kurt Buckner commented, “Just by purchasing a copy of the Pierce County Journal the last couple weeks and also by receiving it in the mail, it’s affordable for one year. I’d have to say one versus the other, they’re both good for news content, but I’d have to say the Pierce County Journal is bringing back what used to be in our town and around the Pierce County area and expanding and doing a really good job of getting the news out there.”

The vote to change was unanimous.

“It’s a changing market, all the time, right now,” said Cain of the newspaper industry.

ASBESTOS ABATEMENT – The board voted unanimously to finish some of its final asbestos abatement in the high school.

The project includes areas of nearly 7,000 and 3,000 square feet. Total cost of the project with the low bidder, Robinson Brothers, is $49,889.25.

“It’s definitely needed,” school board president Doug Peterson said. “It’s good to see we’re nearing the end of the need for all this abatement.”

The work will be done and flooring replaced this summer.

Photo by John McLoone.