Jul 27, 2016 3 min read

New policies will be in place in Charleroi Area School District for the 2016-17 school year to make sure staff and students are maintained.

The school board Tuesday had the first reading of policies regarding the use of social media and maintaining a professional adult/student boundary.

Superintendent Edward Zelich said these policies spell everything out and are needed with technology at everyone’s fingertips.

Zelich said the policies state in a clear manner the conduct each employee is expected to adhere to in the district.

“The policies are in place to create and keep the students safe. Our students’ safety is our main concern,” he added.

Inappropriate student-teacher relationships were in the spotlight lately, including three Plum School District teachers who were charged last year with having inappropriate sexual relationships with students. A Peters Township teacher was on administrative leave, collecting his salary, since 2013 after allegations surfaced he had an inappropriate relationship with a student while working in Virginia, and attempts to fire him failed.

Some of the main points covered in the new social media policy include: school personnel is not permitted to text students; chat in chat rooms with students; become friends on Facebook with students; contact a student on his or her cellphone unless it is in a limited capacity for a district-sponsored event; or email a student from a personal email account. Only district email accounts should be used.

The policy also states a student should not be provided with a staff member’s cellphone number. Social media should not be used to discuss a student or school employee. A school employee should not post on social media anything that would disrupt the education atmosphere of the district. Confidential information may not be posted on social media anonymously under the new guidelines.

The maintaining professional adult/student boundary policy draws a definite line of what is appropriate behavior and what is not, Zelich said.

For instance, personal gifts may not allowed to be exchanged between student and teacher, unless there has been written permission from the district. The policy also outlines specific boundaries between employees and students. Relationships between employees and students should be professional.

The policy states examples of inappropriate behavior, which would include inviting a student to an employee’s home, giving massages and other behavior that is not professional.

The policy also spells out the steps to take if a student or employee witnesses inappropriate behavior. The incident must be reported to an administrator, principal or superintendent. Failure to report a suspected incident may result in disciplinary action and possible job loss.

The board also had the first reading a policy concerning of nonresident students of district employees attending Charleroi schools at a 20 percent discount. The cost for nonresident elementary students is $7,800 per year and the cost for nonresident middle school and high school students is $10,200 per year. Zelich said the policy came about because employees living out of the district want to enroll their children in the district.

The board also made a policy change regarding the age to start kindergarten. Beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, students entering kindergarten will have to be 5 by July 31, moving the date from Aug. 31.