The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law, requires that the Linn-Mar Community School District, with certain exceptions, obtain written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from students’ education records. However, the school district may disclose appropriately designated directory information without written consent, unless parents have advised the district to the contrary according to board policy. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the Linn-Mar Community School District to include this type of information from student education records in certain school publications. Examples include:
Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with the following information: names, addresses, and phone numbers; unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent.
If parents do not want the school district to disclose directory information from their student’s education records without prior written consent, they must notify the district in writing on an annual basis.
The student handbook or similar publication given to each student which contains general information about the school will contain the following statement which will be published at least annually in a prominent place or in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district:
The following information may be released to the public in regard to any individual student of the district, as needed. Any eligible student over the age of 18 or parent/legal guardian not wanting this information released to the public must make an objection in writing to the building principal annually.
Adopted: 9/98
Reviewed: 4/11; 4/12; 7/13; 10/14; 12/20; 10/23
Revised: 8/07; 8/17; 1/21
Related Policy: 505.62; 505.62-E; 505.63
IASB Reference: 506.02-R(1)