8330 Authorized Use of School-Owned Materials and Equipment

The Board of Education permits the use of District-owned materials and equipment (e.g., laptop computers, cell phones, audio-visual equipment, etc.) by Board members, officers, and employees of the District when such materials and equipment are needed for District-related purposes.

The Superintendent of Schools, in consultation with the Assistant Superintendents, shall establish procedures governing the loan and use of such equipment and materials. Such regulations must address:

• Individuals who may properly authorize the use of such material and/or equipment;
• Assurance that the borrower uses such materials or equipment only for District-related purposes;
• The maximum time period of the loan;
• Responsibilities of the borrower for proper use, care and maintenance; and
• That, regardless of condition or other factors, all loaned equipment must be returned to the District. No item may be sold to or purchased by the borrower unless such equipment has been returned to the District for evaluation and, if necessary, disposal in accordance with District policy and procedures.

Sign out procedures shall be established to document all equipment and materials loaned to employees for District-related purposes. All equipment shall be inventoried on an annual basis and a list shall be maintained of the date such equipment was loaned, to whom it was loaned, and the date of expected, if applicable, and actual return.
Individuals borrowing District-owned equipment shall be liable for any damage or loss occurring to the equipment during the period of its use and shall be responsible for its safe return and/or replacement cost. Damage or loss of any equipment that is used to access or store sensitive and protected student and/or employee information must be reported to the Information Technologies department in a timely manner to mitigate data breaches. In addition, individuals borrowing District-owned electronic equipment (computers, cell phones, etc.) must abide by the Computer Network Acceptable Use Policy (4526) and Regulation (4526-R) and the Information Breach and Notification Policy (8635) and Regulation (8635-R). Since Board members, officers, and employees are issued District-owned equipment in connection with their work responsibilities, the individual using the District-owned equipment should not have an expectation of privacy with respect to information contained on the device (e.g., computer files, images, messages, etc.).

The Office of Human Resources, in conjunction with the Information Technology Office, shall maintain assignment and usage records of all computing equipment that is loaned for long-term use (e.g., school year, term of office, etc.) and shall review such list yearly. Loans of non-computing materials and equipment shall be maintained and reviewed yearly by the department issuing the loan. If an electronic system is not available to record loans, loans shall be recorded using form 8330-F2 and a copy sent to the Office of Human Resources.

The Board of Education recognizes that certain District employees will be required to carry District-owned cell phones in order to meet their job responsibilities. Such phones should be provided only when a less costly alternative is not available or is not appropriate in the circumstances.

A list of job titles requiring District-owned cell phones shall be maintained in the Business Office and reported to the Board for its approval each year at its organizational meeting in July. All cellular telephone contracts shall be secured through the appropriate purchasing process (e.g., competitive bid, RFP process) and shall be subject to review and approval by the Board.

District cell phones are to be used for school District business purposes only and anything other than incidental private use is prohibited. Employees will reimburse the District for cellular telephone charges inadvertently incurred that are not of a business nature. Reimbursement will occur within fifteen (15) school days of notice.
Failure to follow these guidelines may result in revocation of the phone and discipline of the employee. In addition, since employees are issued District owned cell phones in connection with their work responsibilities, employees should not have an expectation of privacy with respect to information contained on the device (e.g., text messages, records of phone calls).

As with any District-owned equipment, employees must take proper care of cell phones and take all reasonable precautions to avoid damage, loss, or theft. Any damage, loss, or theft must be reported immediately to the Business Office. Since employees are responsible for the safe return of District-owned cell phones, employees who use District-owned cell phones may be liable for damages or loss which occur during the period of its use.

Cross-ref:      

4526: Computer Network Acceptable Use Policy
Policy 8635: Information Breach and Notification

Approved by the Board of Education: 12/19/13
Revision approved by the Board of Education: 10/19/23

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