This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

District 219 Plans Stronger ID Safeguards in Policies

Proposal maps out access to Social Security data; communications rule aims to comply with state records law.

Technology has changed the way the world works, with electronic communications and networking connecting everyone from suburban school board members to criminals who prey on unsuspecting victims.

New and amended policies under consideration by the school board are meant to address those concerns.

One new policy, mandated by the state, requires the district to restrict use of Social Security numbers to those functions required by federal and state law. Additional safeguard must be taken to protect the information, if it is collected.

Find out what's happening in Skokiewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The policy had its first reading April 11. The school board cannot formally approve it until after a second reading.

According to the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission, Social Security numbers are key pieces of information for identity thieves, who can use them to open credit cards and other accounts in victims’ names.

Find out what's happening in Skokiewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Social Security Administration issues the nine-digit numbers to keep track of individual earnings and other purposes. Employers are required to collect the data as part of the hiring process. 

Under the proposed policy, all employees who have access to Social Security information as part of their job will be trained to protect the confidentiality of the data until the records are destroyed. Also access will be limited to employees who must handle information or documents that contain Social Security numbers.

Another safeguard is developing a system to easily redacted the numbers from records whose release are required or part of a freedom of information request.

The district also must disclose the purpose for which it is collecting and using Social Security numbers when it asks for them.

The district is also weighing clarifying how school board members may communicate with one another. The proposed policy would alter the phrase  “electronic mail” to “electronic communications,” which would comprise social networks such as Facebook,  instant messaging by computer and cell phone as well as other forms of communications.

School board members must be careful how they communicate with one another outside of a public meeting to avoid violating the state's Open Meetings Act, said board president Robert Silverman.

The discussion at District 219 came about a month after the Illinois Attorney General’s Office issued an opinion that the New Trier High School District 203 board violated the Open Meetings Act last May.

However, the District 203 issue was not a case of improper electronic communications. According to the attorney general office, the board discussed matters in closed session that should have been discussed in open session.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Skokie