Teachers and staff of the Kirksville R-III School District will now be instructed to only make contact with students online through websites like social media if it is necessary or related to a class or activity with the adoption of the district’s “Facebook” policy.

Set into motion by the Missouri Legislature, Policy GBH, or what is commonly referred to as the “Facebook” Policy, dictates employee-student communication including the use of electronic media such as social media websites to prevent improper communications and adds new reporting requirements if such contact is made in an inappropriate manner.

Initially, the Facebook Law passed by the legislature mandated minimal or no contact online between students and teachers, drawing an outcry of complaints including concerns over whether teachers could contact their own children if they were students.