Board members debated a proposed administrative rule that "administrators shall not engage students in social media and online network media," considering technical issues with encrypted or disappearing messaging apps and how the rule would affect group communications for teams or clubs.
Why it matters: One-on-one private communication via social apps can create risks of inappropriate contact and erase discoverable records; the board sought to balance safety with practical communication needs for teams and school accounts.
Discussion: Members said they could not identify an appropriate reason for an administrator to privately message a student through apps that do not retain records (examples raised: Signal, WhatsApp, Snapchat). They noted that some team- or club-based apps or district-run pages (school Facebook, Instagram, official team apps) operate as group communications and are different from private, disappearing messages. One member suggested banning one-on-one engagement but allowing approved group or district-managed platforms that preserve records. Suggestions included:
- Cross-referencing the district's social-media policies (policy 7544 and related sections) rather than repeating detailed lists of platforms in the administrative policy.
- Prohibiting use of encrypted or disappearing-message apps for private staff-student communication, or explicitly allowing only platforms that retain a public or discoverable record.
- Listing examples (Signal, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger) in guidance to explain risks, with the caveat that these lists may change.
Board members asked staff to align the administrative language with policy 7544 (use of social media) and to return a draft that distinguishes permitted group/district-managed uses from prohibited private one-on-one contact. No formal vote was taken at this meeting.