1102 Student Directory Information
In 1974, Congress enacted the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This law guarantees parents a right of access to the educational records of their children. It also protects the privacy rights of parents and children by providing that personally identifiable information from student educational records will not be released to non- employees of a school district, except under certain circumstances.
One of the exceptions concerning the release of personally identifiable information is what FERPA defines as “directory information.” This includes a student’s name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational institution attended by the student.
Under FERPA, a school district has the right to designate or not designate any or all of the above personally identifiable information as “directory information.” If a school district desires to designate any or all of the above information as “directory information,” the school district must notify parents that they have a right to refuse to permit the designation of any or all of the categories of personally identifiable information as “directory information.”
The Union Public School District believes it has a responsibility to protect the privacy rights of parents and students. The district believes that parents and students have a reasonable expectation that the above information will be used only for educational purposes and not for commercial or other purposes not connected with the educational system.
Therefore, it is the policy of this district, pursuant to the exercise of its lawful rights under FERPA, that it will not designate the above information as “directory information” under FERPA.
For many years, it has been the practice of the district to use student information, names and photos in yearbooks, athletic programs and similar school publications. It has also been the practice of the district to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and the Department of Human Services; to provide student names and addresses to career tech and institutions of post-secondary education who desire to notify students of educational and scholarship opportunities; and to the armed services for recruitment purposes as required by federal legislation. The district believes that it has a legal right to continue these traditional practices without designating the data as “directory information.” The district will continue to disclose student information for these purposes and other similar educational purposes unless parents object in writing to the use of the student information in this manner. Forms for this purpose may be obtained from the Chief Communications Officer or may be downloaded from the district website.
The district is aware of the provisions of the Oklahoma Open Records Act which require public access to the above “directory information” from student records for any purpose, including commercial purposes. The district believes that the provisions of the Oklahoma Open Records Act conflict with the vested rights which the school district, parents, and students hold under FERPA. Until that conflict is finally resolved by the judicial system, the district will not make “directory information” from student records available to the general public.
Revised 6/10/96
Revised 12/8/97
Revised 12/14/98
Revised 12/13/04
Revised 1/16/06
Revised 2/12/07
Revised 12/10/07
Revised 12/11/17