Terms of Service

Effective Date: December 10, 2024

Welcome to SchoolBlocks! These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the SchoolBlocks platform, websites, mobile applications, and related services (collectively, the "Services") provided by SchoolBlocks, Inc. ("SchoolBlocks," "we," "our," or "us").

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account, accessing, or using SchoolBlocks Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and SchoolBlocks.

Eligibility

To use our Services, you must:

• Be at least 13 years old (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction)
• Have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms
• Be affiliated with an educational institution that has authorized your access
• Provide accurate and complete information when creating your account

Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes through our platform, email, or other appropriate means. Your continued use of the Services after such modifications constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

2. Description of Services

SchoolBlocks provides a comprehensive educational technology platform that includes:

Core Services

• Website Management: Tools for creating and managing school and district websites
• Mobile Applications: Native iOS and Android apps for school communities
• Communication Tools: Messaging, notifications, and engagement features
• Integration Services: Connections with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and other platforms
• Content Management: Document sharing, news publishing, and event management

Additional Features

• AI-powered chatbot assistance (WelcomeChat)
• Social networking platform (SchoolFeed)
• Spirit store and merchandise management
• Document engagement platform
• Analytics and reporting tools

3. User Accounts and Responsibilities

Account Creation

To access certain features of our Services, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information
• Maintain and update your account information
• Keep your login credentials secure and confidential
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

Account Security

You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account. We recommend:

• Using strong, unique passwords
• Enabling two-factor authentication when available
• Logging out of shared or public devices
• Regularly reviewing your account activity

Account Types

Different account types have different permissions and responsibilities:

• Administrator Accounts: Full access to manage school/district settings
• Staff Accounts: Access to relevant educational tools and communication features
• Parent Accounts: Access to information about their children and school communications
• Student Accounts: Age-appropriate access to educational resources and tools

4. Acceptable Use Policy

You agree to use our Services responsibly and in accordance with these guidelines:

Permitted Uses

• Educational and administrative purposes related to your school or district
• Communication with authorized members of your school community
• Sharing appropriate educational content and resources
• Participating in school-sanctioned activities and discussions

Prohibited Activities

You may not use our Services to:

• Violate any applicable laws, regulations, or school policies
• Harass, bully, threaten, or intimidate others
• Share inappropriate, offensive, or harmful content
• Infringe on intellectual property rights
• Distribute spam, malware, or other malicious content
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to systems or accounts
• Interfere with the proper functioning of our Services
• Use the Services for commercial purposes without authorization

Content Standards

All content shared through our Services must:

• Be appropriate for an educational environment
• Respect the privacy and dignity of others
• Comply with applicable copyright and intellectual property laws
• Not contain personal information of minors (except as educationally necessary)

5. Intellectual Property Rights

SchoolBlocks Intellectual Property

The SchoolBlocks platform, including all software, designs, text, graphics, logos, and other content, is owned by SchoolBlocks and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not:

• Copy, modify, or distribute our proprietary content
• Reverse engineer or attempt to extract source code
• Use our trademarks or branding without permission
• Create derivative works based on our Services

User Content

You retain ownership of content you create and share through our Services. However, by using our Services, you grant SchoolBlocks:

• A license to host, store, and display your content as necessary to provide the Services
• Permission to make technical modifications (such as format changes) to ensure compatibility
• The right to remove content that violates these Terms or applicable laws

Third-Party Content

Our Services may include content from third parties. Such content remains the property of its respective owners and is subject to their terms and conditions.

Copyright Infringement

We respect intellectual property rights and expect our users to do the same. If you believe content on our platform infringes your copyright, please contact us with:

• Identification of the copyrighted work
• Location of the allegedly infringing content
• Your contact information
• A statement of good faith belief that the use is unauthorized
• A statement that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act

6. Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection, use, and protection of your personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

Student Data Protection

We are committed to protecting student privacy in accordance with:

• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
• State student privacy laws
• Other applicable privacy regulations

Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Regular security audits and assessments
• Access controls and authentication measures
• Employee training on data protection

Data Retention

We retain your data only as long as necessary to provide our Services or as required by law. Upon termination of your account or our Services, we will delete or anonymize your personal data in accordance with our data retention policies.

7. Termination

Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by:

• Contacting your school administrator
• Using account deletion features in your settings
• Contacting SchoolBlocks support

Termination by SchoolBlocks

We may suspend or terminate your access to our Services if:

• You violate these Terms or our Acceptable Use Policy
• Your school or district terminates their agreement with us
• We reasonably believe termination is necessary to protect our Services or other users
• Required by law or legal process

Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your access to the Services will cease immediately
• Your data may be deleted in accordance with our data retention policies
• Certain provisions of these Terms will survive termination

8. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

Service Disclaimers

Our Services are provided "as is" and "as available." We disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including:

• Warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose
• Warranties of non-infringement
• Warranties regarding accuracy, reliability, or completeness of content
• Warranties of uninterrupted or error-free service

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, SchoolBlocks shall not be liable for:

• Indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages
• Loss of profits, data, or business opportunities
• Damages resulting from third-party content or services
• Damages exceeding the amount paid for our Services in the preceding 12 months

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless SchoolBlocks from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from:

• Your use of our Services
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third-party rights
• Content you submit or share through our Services

9. General Provisions

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of [State], without regard to conflict of law principles.

Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or our Services will be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and SchoolBlocks regarding the use of our Services.

10. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us: