Keeping FBISD Students Safe Online 

Fort Bend ISD is committed to creating a safe and secure online environment for all students. As part of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), we are required to block access to harmful or inappropriate content. To meet these requirements, we use tools that go beyond traditional firewalls. 

Why GoGuardian? 

In the past, the district relied on standard filters and firewalls to block inappropriate websites.  While these worked for many years, students have found ways to bypass them using tools like proxy servers or VPNs. This can expose students to unsafe or non-educational content. 

GoGuardian helps close this gap by monitoring activity in real time and preventing those workarounds at the device level. This means filtering remains effective, and students stay focused on learning. 

District Devices and Policy 

District-issued laptops are provided for educational purposes only. Each year, students and parents review and sign the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct, which explains, “No District computer, network, or Internet usage is considered private and may be monitored by staff at any time to ensure appropriate use.” GoGuardian is only installed on district devices and never on personal devices. Students should also avoid storing personal or confidential information on district computers. 

GoGuardian is the most used K-12 content filter in the United States, protecting over 15.3 million students across more than 10,000 schools and districts including: 

GoGuardian is an important addition to the tools our district already uses to keep students safe online by monitoring activity in real time, blocking inappropriate content at the device level, and helping teachers keep students focused and safe online. These features work alongside our existing systems to provide stronger protection and better classroom support. By implementing GoGuardian, we strengthen our commitment to student safety, classroom management, and compliance with federal regulations. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see the Frequently Asked Questions below to learn more about how the GoGuardian application functions and what limits are in place to protect Fort Bend ISD students.

Q. Isn’t this an invasion of privacy?
A. Per the 2025-2026 FBISD Student Parent Handbook, No District computer/network/Internet usage shall be considered confidential and is subject to monitoring by designated staff at any time to ensure appropriate use. Students should not use the computer system to send, receive or store any information, including email messages, that they consider personal or confidential and wish to keep private.

Q. Can teachers turn on my webcam or microphone?
A. No, GoGuardian has no access to students’ cameras or microphones.

Q. Is GoGuardian recording every action/click on my computer?
A. No, GoGuardian is monitoring all network activity as well as which applications are being used. For example, GoGuardian will know that a student was using PowerPoint for 10 minutes, but it will not have any record of what the student was doing/creating in PowerPoint.

Q. Can any teacher see my screen?
A. No, teachers may only view the screens of the students in their classes.

Q. Can teachers view my screen at any time of day?
A. No, teachers may only view screens during school days, Monday-Friday, and during school hours, 7:30am-4:30pm.

Q. If I’m at home during the school day, can my teacher view my screen?
A. No, teachers may only view their students’ screens when the computers are at a FBISD campus and connected to the FBISD network.

Q. Is my screen being recorded?
A. No, student screens are not being recorded. Teachers can only see a live snapshot of a student’s screen that updates every 2-3 seconds.

Q. Can my location be tracked?
A. No, FBISD student devices do not contain GPS radios, and GoGuardian does not provide any location data.

Q. Can the District see how teachers are using GoGuardian with students?
A. Yes, all teacher activities in GoGuardian are logged and can be reviewed if there is ever a question or concern.

Q. Does GoGuardian provide new surveillance capabilities to FBISD?
A. GoGuardian does not provide any additional surveillance capabilities. FBISD has always monitored all network activities (as required by federal law), and FBISD has long had the tools to view any district computer screen. GoGuardian simply provides more information to teachers about students’ activities on their devices.

Q. Does GoGuardian lock students’ computers if they attempt to access a blocked website?
A. No, GoGuardian does not lock students’ computers. Students simply see a block message in their browser just like FBISD’s previous generation of filters.

Q. What happens if GoGuardian blocks a website that should not be blocked?
A. Staff or students can report the error, and IT will quickly investigate and take corrective action.

Q. Is GoGuardian monitoring web activity even when students are not doing anything wrong?
A. Yes, to detect harmful/prohibited network activity, all network activity must be monitored. FBISD has always monitored all network activities.

Q. Does GoGuardian slow down students’ computers?
A. No, there has been no measurable impact on performance.

Q. Why is my school issued laptop having internet issues when I'm at home?
A. There are two reasons the school issued (EquippED) laptops my have network/internet issues when connected to non-FBISD Wi-Fi. First, students must be logged into Global Protect (the District Firewall) to have internet access. To correct, launch Global Protect and log in. Secondly, some students have installed unapproved VPN or Proxy software designed to bypass the District's filters/firewalls. These include titles like xVPN, Psiphon, Brave, and many others. If GoGuardian detects a student attempting to bypass the filter, it could interrupt the network connection. If a student's laptop in not working correctly at home for this reason, they will need to have their campus IT staff reimage the laptop to remove the bypass software.