During the first weeks of school, many students noticed a new loading screen pop up on their browsers, causing second-long delays for most media-based content. This change is a part of the school-wide rollout of Securly, a web filtering system that blocks content deemed harmful for students or inappropriate in an educational setting.
Beyond filtering, Securly also monitors for potential signs of harm in student browser activity, alerting administrators when mental well-being is a concern.
“We want to make sure students are safe online, so that we can help promote their learning,” MVLA Director of Information Technology Bob Fishtrom said.
While Securly may be new at Los Altos High School, web filtering is not. LAHS gets its internet through the Santa Clara County Office of Education, which is subsidized by the California government’s E-Rate program. Because federal funding is involved, the school must comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and run a web filter on school-provided internet services.
LAHS decided to switch to software specifically designed for K-12 education and that integrates better with Chrome, but students have had mixed reactions to the change.
“It’s been really annoying because it takes so long to search things now,” senior Vincent Arredondo said. “I feel like it’s unnecessary.”
“I noticed [the filter] because it loads every time I search for something,” junior Liam Arancillo said. “I thought it was the LAHS wifi or just a problem with my computer.”
According to Fishtrom, Securly loading pop-ups have been occurring more often for students who use personal devices. The system is not perfect and may block information that is needed for classes. However, he assures students that the IT department can help them fix any problems or clear websites; all they need to do is put in a ticket at the help desk.
“Since we deployed [Securly] last spring, there’s been a lot of adjustments, but we’re regularly on the phone with their support line,” Fishtrom said.
If you are facing issues with the new filtering software, the MVLA help desk is available at https://mvla.incidentiq.com/.
