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Media Guidelines

It is the policy of the Port Arthur Independent School District to work cooperatively with the news media for coverage of issues and events involving the school district, its students or staff. Our #1 priority is the safety and security of our students with the least amount of interruption. The guidelines below reflect our desire for a clear, concise and transparent relationship with the media. For the purposes of this document, “social media” refers to the following platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Linkedin and YouTube. As more social media platforms become available, the document will be updated to reflect them. These guidelines are in effect districtwide.
 

  • Port Arthur ISD is committed to working cooperatively with the news media. It is the role of the Media and Communications Department to assist schools in contacting media representatives, preparing for an onsite visit, and responding to news outlet
    inquiries.
  • All media inquiries should be directed to the Media/Communications Specialist, including inquiries sent via e-mail. Exceptions include routine athletic and/or extracurricular activity news coverage during games, tournaments, and/or performances conducted outside the normal school day.
  • The Media/Communications Department can be contacted via the following methods: alott@paisd.org or 409-989-6100.
  • The Media/Communications Specialist should be contacted when a representative of the media requests to visit a campus or arrives at a campus without prior approval. If a member of the media is onsite without prior approval, he/she should be sent to the Media/Communications Department at the Arreader P. Guidry Central Administration Building, located at 4801 9 th Avenue, Port Arthur, TX 77642.
  • A member of the media may interview staff or students during the school day with prior approval from the Media/Communications Specialist or appropriate designee. Media representatives may be allowed access to a classroom only at the discretion of the Media/Communications Specialist or appropriate designee, and only if the classroom teacher and/or appropriate staff member(s) have been notified and have agreed that it will not be disruptive to the learning environment. Taking of photographs, audio, or video is at the discretion of the Media/Communications Specialist or appropriate designee.
  • Prior to any media visit, appropriate time must be given to district administrators to verify student privacy preferences and provide appropriate notification to the campus and building administrators.
  • Port Arthur ISD strictly enforces and follows student privacy preferences and release of student information as outlined in FERPA guidelines (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).
  • The Superintendent or designee shall be the official spokesperson for Port Arthur ISD.

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