The Mount Vernon City School District has issued its annual technology privacy notice to families, as required under the recently enacted Ohio Senate Bill 29. In the notice, the district outlines its ongoing efforts to maintain student data privacy and security.
“Mount Vernon City Schools remains dedicated to protecting student privacy while providing the tools they need to learn and grow safely online,” Dr. Matthew J. Dill, the district’s Director of Technology and Gifted Education, said.
A comprehensive list of all technology providers with access to student educational records—used for curriculum delivery, testing, or assessment—is available on the MVCSD EdTech website under the Digital Resources section. The district emphasized that this list is continually updated as new agreements are reviewed and signed to ensure providers do not share student information for commercial gain.
To protect students online, the district uses advanced filtering and monitoring tools, including Lightspeed Systems and Cisco Umbrella. These systems help limit inappropriate content and monitor activity on all school-issued devices. Monitoring may include location tracking, keystroke activity, and web browsing history, but solely for non-commercial educational purposes such as instruction, technical support, or exam proctoring. The district also noted this monitoring is a precaution to help prevent or respond to threats to student safety.
The legislation, now part of Ohio Revised Code Sections 3319.325 through 3319.327, mandates that school districts notify parents each year about how student information is protected when using educational technology, prior to Aug. 1
For questions or concerns about student technology use or privacy, families are encouraged to reach out to the district’s technology department.
