Rockdale updates acceptable-use policy to comply with SB 351; approves AV refresh proposal
Summary
District staff recommended revisions to the Internet acceptable-use policy to meet state Senate Bill 351 requirements and proposed an elementary cafetorium audio-video refresh costing $165,995.40 from SPLOST; both items will go to the regular session for action.
Rockdale County Public Schools recommended revisions to its Internet acceptable-use policy to comply with new state requirements and presented a separate proposal to refresh audio-video systems in elementary cafetoriums.
The district’s technology director said Senate Bill 351 requires school districts to update acceptable-use policies by Oct. 1, 2025. The proposed policy update reiterates filtering obligations and adds digital-citizenship education requirements. The presentation said Rockdale uses LineWise filtering technology and provides the "Neptune Navigate" platform for digital citizenship; the district stated it is a Common Sense district for digital-citizenship instruction. Staff said the draft policy was posted for a public comment period and summarized parent feedback, which included questions about YouTube access and device-locking policies.
District staff recommended the board approve policy revisions to ensure compliance with the state law; the recommendation was presented as a superintendent action item with no immediate financial impact.
Separately, the district proposed replacing or standardizing cafetorium projection systems at five elementary schools with a project cost of $165,995.40 to be funded from SPLOST. The refresh would include projectors, wireless microphones and sound-system upgrades to improve visibility and audibility for school events and teacher-led professional learning. The superintendent will recommend approval of this purchase at the regular session next week.
Both the acceptable-use policy and the AV refresh were presented for board consideration; no final board votes occurred during the work session.
