Boundaries Build Trust
Every student deserves relationships with trusted adults that are supportive, respectful and centered on their well-being. Boundaries Build Trust helps students, families and employees understand what healthy, professional relationships look like, recognize when a boundary may have been crossed and feel confident speaking up.
Know what’s appropriate. Speak up when it’s not.
Watch Superintendent Mark Vianello’s video message about the Boundaries Build Trust initiative
Know the Boundaries
Employees should communicate with students only through district-approved platforms and district-issued accounts. Personal phone calls, text messages, direct messages and social media communication between employees and students are not appropriate.
Even when using approved platforms, communication should remain professional, school-related and transparent. One-on-one communication should be limited when possible.
The boundary: If communication needs to be hidden, moved to a personal account or taken outside an approved platform, it crosses the line.
Physical interactions with students should always be appropriate to the school setting, the student's age and the employee's professional role.
Employees should avoid unnecessary or overly familiar physical contact with students. Appropriate interactions may include a handshake, high-five or fist bump, while recognizing that some educational, athletic, health, safety or student-support situations may require other appropriate contact.
The boundary: Physical contact should have a clear, appropriate purpose and never create secrecy, discomfort or confusion about the employee-student relationship.
Employees should plan student interactions so they are observable and interruptible whenever possible. Avoid unnecessarily placing yourself in situations where you are isolated with a student.
Some services, including school counseling, mental health and health services, require privacy. In those situations, employees should balance student confidentiality with appropriate safeguards, such as remaining within another adult's line of sight when appropriate.
The boundary: Privacy may sometimes be necessary. Secrecy is different.
Trust is everyone's responsibility. Students, employees, parents and community members should speak up when an interaction, communication or behavior raises a concern.
You do not have to determine whether a policy was violated before reporting a concern. If something doesn't seem appropriate, report it.
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Employees should communicate with students only through district-approved platforms and district-issued accounts. Personal phone calls, text messages, direct messages and social media communication between employees and students are not appropriate.
Even when using approved platforms, communication should remain professional, school-related and transparent. One-on-one communication should be limited when possible.
The boundary: If communication needs to be hidden, moved to a personal account or taken outside an approved platform, it crosses the line.
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Physical interactions with students should always be appropriate to the school setting, the student's age and the employee's professional role.
Employees should avoid unnecessary or overly familiar physical contact with students. Appropriate interactions may include a handshake, high-five or fist bump, while recognizing that some educational, athletic, health, safety or student-support situations may require other appropriate contact.
The boundary: Physical contact should have a clear, appropriate purpose and never create secrecy, discomfort or confusion about the employee-student relationship.
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Employees should plan student interactions so they are observable and interruptible whenever possible. Avoid unnecessarily placing yourself in situations where you are isolated with a student.
Some services, including school counseling, mental health and health services, require privacy. In those situations, employees should balance student confidentiality with appropriate safeguards, such as remaining within another adult's line of sight when appropriate.
The boundary: Privacy may sometimes be necessary. Secrecy is different.
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Trust is everyone's responsibility. Students, employees, parents and community members should speak up when an interaction, communication or behavior raises a concern.
You do not have to determine whether a policy was violated before reporting a concern. If something doesn't seem appropriate, report it.
How CCPS is strengthening safeguards
At Charlotte County Public Schools, student safety is our highest priority. Every student deserves to learn in an environment where they feel safe, supported, respected and protected. Clear, appropriate boundaries between adults and students are an important part of creating that environment. Through Boundaries Build Trust, CCPS is strengthening the safeguards designed to protect students, reduce the risk of inappropriate relationships and misconduct, and make sure concerns are recognized, reported and addressed.
This work includes strengthening policies and procedures, reinforcing expectations for employees, providing additional training, helping students understand appropriate boundaries and making sure students, employees, families and community members have clear and accessible ways to report concerns.
Our goal is simple: to do everything we can to protect students and maintain the trust of our families and community.
Our Commitment:
We know that trust is earned through our actions. Student safety requires ongoing attention and a willingness to continually evaluate where we can strengthen our practices. At Charlotte County Public Schools, we are committed to creating schools where students feel safe, families have confidence in the people caring for their children, and employees understand the responsibility that comes with the trust placed in them.
Our Approach:
The District’s current and planned actions are organized around six key areas:
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CCPS is reinforcing clear expectations for appropriate interactions between employees and students and strengthening safeguards designed to prevent inappropriate relationships and boundary violations.
Current Safeguards and Actions
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Annual policy review: All employees annually review and acknowledge district policies governing appropriate employee-student relationships.
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Professional boundaries: Employees are required to maintain professional boundaries at all times when interacting with students.
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Electronic communication: Employees may not directly text students or communicate with students through personal social media accounts, including following, friending or privately messaging students.
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Observable interactions: Employees working individually with students must follow safeguards designed to ensure interactions remain observable and appropriate.
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Volunteer screening: Volunteer coaches and club sponsors must complete the district’s required screening and clearance process before interacting with students.
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Response to serious allegations: Employees arrested or accused of serious conduct involving child abuse, bodily harm, sexual misconduct, or the use or distribution of illegal drugs are immediately removed from contact with students while the matter is reviewed.
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Superintendent oversight: Final disciplinary decisions resulting from investigations involving serious allegations require superintendent approval.
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Visibility within schools: CCPS is strengthening facility practices that support visibility and student safety. For example, classroom lockdown shades remain open during regular instruction and are used only during an active security situation or drill.
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Accountability begins before an employee enters a classroom or school. It starts with how CCPS recruits, screens, hires and onboards employees and continues through how concerns are reviewed, investigated and addressed.
CCPS has strengthened processes across each of these areas to establish clear expectations from the start, promote consistent and thorough review when concerns arise, and ensure appropriate accountability and follow-up.
Current Safeguards and Actions
- Hiring practices: CCPS collaborated with the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS) to review hiring practices, including reference checks, standardized interview questions and opportunities to streamline data systems.
- Staff onboarding process: Enhanced onboarding procedures guarantee that personnel are thoroughly briefed on conduct expectations, professional boundaries, and their essential role in fostering safe, nurturing environments.
- Critical incident response: School and district administrators use a standardized Critical Incident Checklist to help ensure serious safety concerns are identified and addressed consistently.
- Timely investigations: Internal investigations involving inappropriate conduct are targeted for completion within 75 business days or less, when circumstances allow.
- Additional review: Cases involving inappropriate conduct that remain inconclusive receive additional review by the superintendent and Cabinet.
- Tracking and oversight: CCPS maintains a system for tracking disciplinary information and trends across schools. The superintendent reviews disciplinary trends and patterns quarterly to identify areas that may require additional attention or action.
- External reporting: The district works with appropriate outside agencies and state reporting systems when allegations require external reporting.
- Records and compliance: CCPS is strengthening digital reporting and record-keeping processes to help ensure required information is submitted accurately and on time. The district also conducts reviews and audits of files to help ensure compliance with state requirements.
Additional Action Underway
- Independent review: CCPS will work on implementing the recommendations from the independent consultant, such as standardizing interview questions, refining reference check procedures, and maximizing software capabilities to ensure compliance.
- Staffing: Restructuring of human resources to include a labor relations team by hiring a new labor relations coordinator, new district investigative specialist, and confidential secretary to ensure compliance with all required actions and follow up.
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Clear expectations must be supported through ongoing training and education. CCPS provides required annual training for all employees, with additional training based on an employee’s role, responsibilities and level of interaction with students. Training focuses on professional expectations, appropriate boundaries, recognizing concerning behavior and knowing when and how to report a concern. These expectations are reinforced throughout the school year through continued guidance and reminders.
Districtwide Training
Required training addresses:
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Professional ethics and appropriate employee-student boundaries
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Recognizing behaviors that may place students at risk
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Preventing inappropriate relationships and boundary violations
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Recognizing potential grooming behaviors
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Knowing when and how to report concerns
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Proper student supervision
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Child abuse and neglect reporting requirements
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Title IX responsibilities
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Parent notification and communication expectations
Role-Specific Training
Additional training is provided to employees whose positions involve increased responsibility for student supervision or require specialized knowledge, including:
- Administrators
- Coaches
- Club sponsors and advisors
- Athletic department staff
- Other employees whose responsibilities require specialized training
Additional Safeguards for Athletics
CCPS has strengthened expectations for athletic programs to reinforce appropriate boundaries and increase visibility during interactions with student-athletes. These safeguards include:
- Visible practices and activities: Practices and athletic activities are conducted in camera-monitored locations when appropriate.
- Open and observable interactions: Closed-door conversations between athletic staff and students are prohibited.
- Additional athletic oversight: Each high school maintains an assistant athletic director position with specific responsibilities related to the safety and well-being of female student-athletes.
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Students should understand what appropriate adult-student interactions look like, recognize when a behavior or interaction may cross a boundary, and feel comfortable speaking up when something does not feel right.
Current Safeguards and Actions
At the beginning of each school year, students receive age-appropriate information about:
- Personal and professional boundaries
- Recognizing behaviors that may be inappropriate
- Potential grooming behaviors
- How to seek help from a trusted adult
- How and where to report a concern
Safer Electronic Communication
- Secondary coaches and club sponsors are required to communicate with students through StudentSquare, the district-approved messaging platform, rather than through personal text messages or social media.
- StudentSquare communications are documented and archived, providing school and district administrators with greater visibility into employee-student communication.
- Parents can monitor StudentSquare communications involving their children through ParentSquare.
Students should know their voice matters, that trusted adults are there to listen and that they should speak up whenever an interaction or behavior makes them uncomfortable or raises concern.
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Students, employees, families and community members need a clear and accessible way to report concerns. Individuals do not need to investigate a situation or determine whether misconduct has occurred before making a report.
Current Safeguards and Actions
- Consistent review and follow-up: Reports are reviewed using established procedures to determine appropriate next steps, including investigation when warranted.
- External reporting: CCPS works with law enforcement, state agencies and other appropriate authorities when allegations require external reporting or investigation.
Additional Action Underway
- New online reporting tool: CCPS has launched a districtwide online reporting tool that gives students, employees, families and community members an easy and accessible way to report concerns about employee behavior, including the option to submit a report anonymously. Reports will automatically notify appropriate district leadership. The tool is available through district and school websites and is being incorporated into appropriate student and district digital platforms.
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Student safety is a shared responsibility. Parents, caregivers, and community partners play an important role in helping students understand appropriate boundaries, recognize concerning behavior and feel comfortable speaking up.
Current Safeguards and Actions
- Communication expectations: The Student Code of Conduct provides families with clear information about expectations for electronic communication between employees and students, including the use of the district-approved communication platform, ParentSquare and StudentSquare.
- Parent visibility: Parents can monitor StudentSquare communications involving their children through ParentSquare.
- Community partnerships: CCPS works with law enforcement, state agencies and community partners when concerns require additional reporting, investigation or support.
- Ongoing communication: Questions and concerns from families and community members help the district identify areas where additional communication, education or resources may be needed.
Additional Action Underway
- Family education: CCPS provides families with information about appropriate adult-student interactions, potential warning signs and how to report a concern via the district website.
- Centralized resources: The Boundaries Build Trust webpage brings information, educational resources and reporting options together in one location.
Families can also help by talking with their children about healthy boundaries, encouraging them to speak up when something does not feel right, and knowing how to report a concern.
Examples of Staff Misconduct
- Being alone with a student in dark or closed rooms or secluded areas
- Sexting and/or any other form of unprofessional/unethical communication with a student or colleague
- Behaving in an overly friendly or familiar way or failing to maintain an appropriate professional boundary with a student
- Using forceful or unnecessary physical contact with a student
- Administering discipline not compliant with district policy
- Accepting or offering of gifts in return for favors or privileges from students or colleagues
- Badgering or habitually teasing a student
- Making lewd or suggestive comments or overtures toward a student or colleague
- Mocking or belittling a student
- Chronically embarrassing a student
- Displaying prejudice or bigotry against a student
- Using or being suspected of using drugs or alcohol
- Failing to properly supervise students or to ensure student safety
- Cheating or falsifying information or testing violations
- Retaliating against a student or colleague for reporting misconduct
- Bantering or engaging in colloquial or slang communications with a student
- Directing or using profane, offensive, or explosive language in the presence of students
Report a Concern
Report concerns about inappropriate
employee-student interactions or professional boundaries.
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CCPS employees are strictly prohibited from calling or texting students directly or interacting with students on social media platforms, including friending, following, liking, or messaging. All employees, coaches and club sponsors must communicate with their students exclusively through StudentSquare, the district-approved platform designed for messaging between students and CCPS staff. All communication on StudentSquare is monitored and archived to meet state compliance requirements. Parents/Guardians/Caregivers have the ability to monitor all communications within StudentSquare.
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Our district uses ParentSquare for school communication, primarily with email, text, and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically syncs with our Student Information System to generate an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number. We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified.
ParentSquare is a safe, secure, and modern approach to communication and collaboration between school and home.
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