Through available budget cuts and slashes, Websense proves to be not so sensible after all

In final efforts to finish researching for your history final, “Access to this web page is restricted at this time” appears on the screen. Websense, a security web filtering software has become the content-control web filtering software put in place by the district. Inacted to protect school computers from spyware and to prevent students from viewing inappropriate content, Websense uses a combination of filtering categories and word filters to determine which websites may or may not be viewed by students. However, in the process of trying to prevent access to detrimental websites, innocent websites are often blocked to student use.

The company specializes in content security for maximum data theft protection, but instead suppresses students’ ability to utilize websites that become necessary for educational use.

“When I’m trying to research or learn more about something for a project, it’s frustrating to realize that these helpful instructive tools are blocked for my use,” senior Rachel Lipton said. “It becomes a genuine obstacle when studying or researching at school.”

PVPUSD’s 2004 budget for Fire Wall and other related software peaked at $10,000; the Websense programs cost an additional $23,943 from the District budget’s general funds during the same year.

Though this kind of software can admittedly be beneficial in guarding against liability suits, not all the inaccessible websites coincide with the company’s policy to block “criminal-encrypted uploads and data theft.”

Considering that the school cannot afford to keep all of its classes, the Websense expense seems more than a little superfluous. The district, should weigh the pros and cons of the program and perhaps rethink its implementation. Since the software is funded through general funds and its impact is weak, the money should be spent for academic improvements instead of being squandered on Websense.