The purpose of this procedure is to set standards for the approval, funding, use and distribution of cellular phones and smartphones to designated Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) employees.
This procedure covers all wireless communications devices. Devices currently being utilized by the system are: cell phones and smartphones (Android, Blackberry, iOS, and Windows) mobile communications devices. This procedure will also identify positions in the school system that will automatically receive a device based upon their responsibilities.
Prince George’s County Public Schools’ Department of Telecommunications currently provides cell phones and smartphones to a specific group of staff to utilize for work.
Positions that are required to have a wireless communication device include:
Members, Board of Education
CEO
Chief of Staff
Deputy Superintendent(s)
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Communication Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief of Human Resources
Chief of Supporting Services
Chief Health Officer
Chief Information Officer
Public Information Officer
Associate Superintendents
Instructional Directors
Executive Directors
Directors
The Office of Telephone Services will maintain an inventory of all devices, serial numbers, phone numbers, and the staff assigned to the device.
SERVICE REQUEST
Requests for additional phones beyond the positions in the administrative procedure must come from the Chief of Staff, Deputy Superintendent(s), or the Chief Operating Officer. The Office of Telephone Services will provide a “Request for Wireless Communication Device” form to the requestor. Accompanying this form will be a document outlining the available services and the associated costs of each. This form is to be signed by Chief of Staff, Deputy Superintendent(s), or the Chief Operating Officer. Requests for phones will be reviewed by Chief Information Officer and approved or disapproved based upon the evaluation criteria.
REQUEST EVALUATION CRITERIA
Service requests will be evaluated individually and the evaluation will be based upon the following standards:
Nature of the position
Amount of time spent “out of the office” on school system business
The ability to fund the phone for the entire fiscal year (through a Budget Adjustment Request to the Telephone Services Budget). Amount will be pro-rated based on the number of months remaining in the fiscal year.
Emergency response responsibilities of the staff member
SERVICE PLANS
The standard service plan for PGCPS employees includes 400/450 minutes of cellular service. Historically, this has been more than adequate for most users.
Our current monthly rate plan offerings are as follows:
|
Verizon Cellular Phone (only) |
450 minutes |
no data |
$30.15 |
|
Verizon Smartphone |
400 minutes |
unlimited data |
$52.55 |
|
ATT Cellular Phone (only) |
450 minutes |
|
$25.50 |
|
ATT Smartphone |
450 minutes |
unlimited data |
$50.00 |
|
BlackBerry |
400 minutes |
2GB Data |
$48.50 |
|
iOS |
400 minutes |
2GB Data |
$51.95 |
All monthly rate plans are subject to change by the vendor when contracts are rebid.
LOCAL FUNDING RESPONSIBILITY
) The Cell Phone request forms must be submitted to the Office of Telephone Services by October 30 each year.
) All wireless communication devices for staff positions not included in this administrative procedure must be funded by the requesting division, department or office. The “Request for Wireless Communication Device” will have a section for designating the account string to be used for funding the use of the requested device(s). Once approved, this form will be forwarded to the Budget Office. The Budget Office will transfer the estimated annual costs for the requested (and approved) device to the correct account.
) Schools and offices that plan to fund wireless communication devices must make sure to request the funds during the annual budget preparation period. Failure to allocate funds for this purpose will result in the cancellation of services.
In the event that the annual allocation for these devices is exceeded, the overage amount will automatically be deducted from the school/office operating resources. This will be done after each quarterly bill review.
) Estimated monthly costs will be outlined on the request form for all offered services. Schools and offices are required to provide the amount needed to fund the requested service(s) for the entire fiscal year.
RECORD RETENTION
The Office of Telephone Services will keep and maintain billing records of all cellular devices for all schools and offices. The Office of Telephone Services will also apply and maintain records for the E-rate program for telecommunication services provided by the cellular phone/ smart phone devices. A quarterly report will be furnished to the principal/department head comparing accumulated costs with budgeted amounts. This report will provide assistance with budget requests, guide them toward an appropriate usage plan and provide insight into excessive or improper use. Upon request, department heads will be furnished with a detailed summary of charges.
ACCEPTABLE USAGE
It is the responsibility of the employee to use the device responsibly. A summary of acceptable use criteria is included in this document. (Staff may also refer to Administrative Procedure 0700 – Acceptable Use Guidelines)
Listed below are the criteria for acceptable and unacceptable use of wireless communications devices:
Wireless communications devices are issued to provide communication for employees performing PGCPS related duties;
Each approved device will have a certain number of included minutes; users that exceed the allotted minutes must submit a “Cellular Service Change Request” to the Office of Telephone Service;
These devices are not issued for personal use. Charges incurred for personal use must be reimbursed by the user (instructions below);
Calls to “time”, “weather” and directory assistance incur additional charges and are to be avoided;
International long distance calls are to be placed from “land lines” only; and
PGCPS issued smartphones are not to be used as “Hot Spots”. This is an additional charge and not supported by the school district.
PERSONAL/IMPROPER USAGE REIMBURSEMENT PROCEDURE:
) Users are required to reimburse the system for charges that accrue for the following:
Exceeding the assigned calling plan;
Text messaging and SMS over the allotted plan on the phone;
Calls to “time”, “weather” and/or directory assistance;
Downloading of ring tones;
International long distance calls; and
The use of the device as a Hot Spot.
) In the event that an employee has incurred expenses of a personal nature, or exceeded their allotted minutes or used the device improperly, the employee will be required to reimburse the system the full amount of said charges.
) The Office of Telephone Services will provide the department head/principal the appropriate per minute charge. Reimbursement must be by check only, and made to “The Board of Education of Prince George’s County”. These checks are to be submitted to the Office of Telephone Service, Bonnie F. Johns EMC, Room 108-A, 8437 Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785. These checks will be recorded and forwarded to the Accounting Office in the Sasscer Administration Building. Monthly or partial payments are acceptable until the full amount has been reimbursed.
Administrative Procedure Number 0700, Acceptable Use Policy
This Administrative Procedure originates with the Division of Information Technology and will be updated as needed.
None. This is a new.
June 1, 2015
Revised: June 1, 2015
Administrative Procedure 0702 - Information Technology Services Wireless Communications Devices.pdf
