Putnam City Families,
As of today, July 1, Oklahoma House Bill 3958 is in effect and governs digital communications between school staff and students. This letter aims to brief the major components of the law. However, please know this law has many moving parts and we will provide more details later as they are made clear and/or released by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
House Bill 3958 (LINK TO BILL) requires school personnel engaging in electronic or digital communication with an individual student to include the student’s parent or guardian in the electronic or digital communication unless the communication is on a school-approved platform and related to school and academics.
A few specifics to note:
-Electronic or digital communication includes but is not limited to, emails, text messages, direct messages, social media messages, app messages, or any other electronic or digital means. Specific District-approved platforms and applications will be communicated at a later date.
-This new law does not impact mass communication sent from the District or a school site to parents through School Messenger or Thrillshare, email, or text message.
This is a change that is going to take some adjustments for students, families, teachers, and staff. This law will require more communication that will include parents/guardians. Families can expect an increased use of email and text messaging. However, please do not let this lead to ignoring messages from the schools or the District, as the same methods will be used to communicate in the event of an emergency.
We know this may prompt questions. We will work to provide more clarity soon. Additionally, an update to our Board Policy regarding social media and digital communications, and a direct definition of all District-approved platforms will be coming soon. In the meantime, please take a moment to carefully read House Bill 3958 (LINK TO BILL).
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
-Putnam City Schools Administration