What's on the iPad
Every SPPS student iPad runs inside a district-managed "walled garden." Search below to see what's allowed, what's limited, and what's blocked — every status linked to the district page that says so.
- Allowed
Schoology
The district's learning management system for grades 4–12: classes, assignments, and grades.
Sources: SPPS: Schoology Support for Families
- Allowed
Seesaw
The learning platform used in the early grades (K–3), under a district data-sharing agreement.
Sources: SPPS Technology Services
- Allowed
Self Service catalog (400+ approved apps)
The district's own "app store": 400+ apps reviewed for content, data privacy, and security. The authoritative, current list is published on the district's App & Website Review page.
Sources: SPPS Technology Services · SPPS App & Website Review (official approved list)
- Allowed with limits
Web browsing (Safari)
Browsing works through a category filter that applies at school and at home: adult content, violence, gambling, games, and social media categories are blocked; everything else is reachable unless individually blocked.
Sources: SPPS iPad Help (EXPO Elementary)
- Allowed with limits
YouTube
Accessible to students — videos flagged by the internet filter are blocked, Shorts are blocked, and parents or staff can ask for any individual video to be blocked or unblocked. (For comparison: Los Angeles schools block YouTube on student devices entirely.)
Sources: SPPS iPad Help (Eastern Heights)
- Blocked
Apple App Store
Students cannot install their own apps. The App Store is removed by the district's device management; apps come only from the reviewed Self Service catalog.
Sources: SPPS Technology Services
- Blocked
Facebook
Blocked by the internet filter at school and at home.
Sources: SPPS Technology Services
- Blocked
FaceTime
Blocked districtwide by pre-installed device management.
Sources: SPPS Technology Services
- Blocked
Games (filter category)
"Games" is a blocked website category in the iPad's filter, along with gambling, violence, and sexual content — at school and at home. Individual game apps are not in the Self Service catalog unless approved for instruction.
Sources: SPPS iPad Help (EXPO Elementary)
- Blocked
iMessage
Blocked districtwide; students also cannot add personal email accounts.
Sources: SPPS Technology Services
- Blocked
Personal email accounts
Students cannot add personal email accounts to the iPad; only the school account works.
Sources: SPPS Technology Services
- Blocked
Snapchat
Blocked by the internet filter at school and at home.
Sources: SPPS Technology Services
- Blocked
TikTok
Blocked by the internet filter at school and at home.
Sources: SPPS Technology Services
- Blocked
YouTube Shorts
All YouTube Shorts are blocked, even though YouTube itself is available.
Sources: SPPS iPad Help (Eastern Heights)
- Parent tool
Securly Home (for parents)
A free app for SPPS families: see your student's online activity on the school iPad, pause its internet, block specific websites yourself, or schedule offline time — no district permission needed for home rules.
Sources: SPPS: Securly Home
Nothing here by that name. If it's not in the district's official Approved App List, students can't install it — the App Store itself is blocked.
The authoritative list lives with the district. This explorer covers what parents ask about most; the complete, current Approved App List and the approval process are on the SPPS App & Website Review page. There is no public changelog of how the lists have changed over time — a records request is the way to get that history.
Request that an app be blocked (or reviewed)
This is a different process from a records request — there's no statute behind it. It's an operational request to SPPS Technology Services, which says blocks and unblocks can be requested "at any time." Three routes, fastest first:
- At home, do it yourself today: Securly Home lets any SPPS parent block specific websites, pause internet, or schedule offline time on the school iPad — no district approval needed.
- Districtwide block/review: submit the request below through the iPad, Internet and App Support page (contact form / service ticket), or hand it to your school's field technician or library media specialist.
- If it's about classroom use (an app assigned during instruction), raise it with the teacher and principal — app assignment is a building-level instructional decision.
Paste it into the SPPS iPad support contact form. If you don't hear back in two weeks, follow up — and consider raising it with your school's site council, which sets building-level procedures.