Special Use of Videotapes and/or Photographs of Students by District Personnel:
1. Videotapes and photographs of students may be utilized by teachers, administrators, or their designees within the District for educational purposes without advance consent of a student’s parent/guardian. Such school district personnel shall maintain the confidentiality of these student records in accordance with state and federal laws and established District student records procedures.
2. An individual teacher or other certified staff member may utilize and maintain videotapes and photographs of students for his/her own professional use without advance consent of a student’s parent/guardian. Examples of educational photographs/videotapes include documenting science experiments and drama performances, etc.
Other Videotaping and/or Photographing of Students:
3. Waiver forms of release shall be required from parent/guardian when:
a. Students participating in class activities are videotaped or photographed and the
videotapes or photographs are going to be viewed by individuals other than those
authorized in paragraphs one and two above.
b. Students are to be involved in formal interviews approved by District authorities
using videotapes or photographs by outside news media sources.
c. Students identified as having exceptional educational needs (EEN) are videotaped or photographed under circumstances which would, by the nature of such circumstances, identify them as having such needs.
4. Parent/guardian permission shall not be required when:
a. A student has voluntarily chosen or been allowed by his/her parent/guardian to
participate in, or be a spectator at, a school-related activity that is open to the public such as an athletic event, concert, theatrical presentation, dance, etc.
b. The student has chosen to be an officially designated school leader or role model, such as athlete, member of homecoming court, student council, etc. for which there is the potential for informal contact with news media.
c. The student has voluntarily chosen to participate in a class or school project or event.
d. Stock videotape footage or generic pictures (i.e., yearbook individual and group pictures) are being obtained in public places (i.e., hallways, auditoriums, gymnasiums, parking areas, general classroom areas, playgrounds, athletic fields, etc.) by the school district.
e. Outside news media videotape or photograph students in areas that cannot be effectively shielded from the public, such as playgrounds, parking lots, athletic fields, etc.
f. Video cameras are in use to monitor public areas of a school facility.
CROSS REF: Policy #443.8 - Videotaping and/or Photographing of Students
APPROVED: March 26, 1998
12/21/2004 pw