Annual Technology Notice

Dear District 126 Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to another exciting school year!

As part of Zion-Benton Township High School District 126's commitment to transparency, student safety, and legal compliance, the District provides annual notices regarding student privacy, educational technology, internet safety, artificial intelligence, and digital learning resources. These notices fulfill applicable federal and Illinois requirements and describe the policies, procedures, and resources that support the safe, secure, and responsible use of technology throughout the District.

We encourage every family to review the information below and the accompanying resources available on our website.

Sincerely,

Dr. Cheri Bridge
Executive Director of Technology & Innovation
Zion-Benton Township High School District 126

District 126 provides every student with a district-issued learning device to ensure equitable access to learning both at school and at home. Our Mobile Learning Program supports personalized learning, collaboration, creativity, digital citizenship, and college and career readiness while preparing students to use technology responsibly in an ever-changing digital world.

District 126 teaches students to use technology safely, ethically, and responsibly. Students are expected to follow the District's Technology Acceptable Use Policy and AI Responsible Use Guidelines while demonstrating responsible digital citizenship, academic integrity, and respectful online behavior.

Parents of students receiving special education services receive annual information regarding the consideration of assistive technology as part of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. The IEP Team reviews assistive technology needs during each annual review meeting.

Parents and eligible students have important rights regarding student educational records, directory information, student privacy, and student online accounts. District 126 provides these notices annually in accordance with federal and Illinois law.

Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 uses Google Workspace for Education to support instruction, communication, and collaboration. Students also have access to selected Google Additional Services that support classroom learning, including:

• Google Translate for translation and multilingual learning
• YouTube for educational and teacher-selected video content
• Google Earth for geography, history, science, and other instructional activities

These applications are considered Google Additional Services and are governed by the Google Terms of Service, Google Privacy Policy, and any applicable service-specific terms. Additional information is available in the Google Workspace for Education Privacy Notice.

The District applies Google’s age-based settings and administrative controls for students under age 18. Students are expected to use these services only for appropriate educational purposes and in accordance with District policies and staff directions.

No action is required if you permit your student to use these District-approved services.

If you do not want your student to access one or more of these services using their District Google account, please message Dr. Cheri Bridge, Executive Director of Technology & Innovation, directly at cheri.bridge@zb126.org. Please include your student’s name and identify the service or services you would like disabled.

Parents and guardians can partner with the District through the free Securly Home app. This resource allows families to view student web activity, pause internet access at home, and encourage healthy digital habits while supporting responsible technology use outside of school.

Questions or Need Assistance?

Additional information regarding District technology programs, student privacy, artificial intelligence, digital safety, and family resources is available on the District website. If you have questions, please contact the District Technology Department.

Dr. Cheri Bridge
Executive Director of Technology & Innovation
cheri.bridge@zb126.org
(847) 731-9770