R-H Did Not Block Access to Political Website

Dear Rush-Henrietta Families and Employees,

I want to shed light on an unfortunate technological situation we encountered today. All school districts in Monroe County likely are similarly impacted. 

It was brought to my attention this morning that for some time students in our Senior High School Civics and Citizenship classes have been unable to access a Republican website (GOP.com) as part of an assignment. Sites of other parties were available to view. A note attached to these political party links in our online Google Classroom said: “Please note, if you are using a school-issued device, this site will be blocked (long story.) You will need to use a personal device if you wish to learn more about this party.”

Upon hearing this, I asked R-H Technology Services Director Brian Sutton to investigate and we learned the cause of this issue. Network traffic in local school districts, including Rush-Henrietta, runs through two regional BOCES. Officials from Monroe One BOCES explained that the website GOP.com is blocking IP addresses associated with our BOCES, making it impossible for local schools to access the site.

I also learned today that Monroe One BOCES experienced this issue in the past. It has submitted requests to GOP.com asking for permission to access its site but received no reply. In a message to local superintendents today, Monroe One BOCES said: “Essentially, the website host is blocking any device using one of our IP addresses. This can happen for a number of reasons, there are automated features on websites that can inadvertently block high-traffic feeds (such as those from districts).”

To be clear, Rush-Henrietta did not place restrictions on accessing any political site. We value students having access to credible sources and wanted  them to still be able to view the official GOP website. For that reason, it was recommended that they view the site on a different device.

We remain committed to balanced exploration of civic education. I mentioned the importance of voting in recent E-News messages to families and employees. I wrote, “Although the school district will never tell you how to vote, we always encourage you to cast a ballot.” My philosophy - and that of the district - remains unchanged. I apologize that this unfortunate circumstance briefly offered the public a reason to doubt our commitment to the free exchange of ideas in our educational program.

Sincerely,