The Bennett Community School District has adopted a policy designed to assure parents and students the full implementation, protection and enjoyment of their rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).  A copy of the school district’s policy is available for review in the administrative offices at 300 Cedar St, Bennett IA  52721.

This law requires the school district to designate as “directory information” any personally identifiable information taken from a student’s educational records prior to making such information available to the public.

The school district has designated the following information as directory information:

•   Student’s name
•   Address
•   Telephone listing
•   Electronic mail address
•   Photograph
•   Date and place of birth
•   Major field of study
•   Dates of attendance
•   Grade level
•   Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
•   Weight and height of members of athletic teams
•   Degrees, honors, and awards received
•   The most recent educational agency or institution attended
•   Student ID number, user ID, or other unique personal identifier used to communicate in electronic systems that cannot be used to access education records without a PIN, password, etc.  (A student’s SSN, in whole or in part, cannot be used for this purpose.)

You have the right to refuse the designation of any or all of the categories of personally identifiable information as directory information with respect to your student provided that you notify the school district in writing not later than September 1 of the current school year.  If you desire to make such a refusal, please complete and return the slip attached to this notice.

If you have no objection to the use of student information, you do not need to take any action.

 

 

 

 

RETURN THIS FORM

Bennett Community School District Parental Directions to Withhold Student/Directory Information for Education Purposes, for 20__ - 20__ school year.

 

Student Name:_____________________________________   Date of Birth:________________

School:___________________________________________   Grade: _____________________

__________________________________________________   __________________________
  (Signature of Parent/Legal Guardian/Custodian of Child)                (Date)

 

This form must be returned to your child’s school no later than ________________, 20_______.

Additional forms are available at your child’s school.

 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Bennett Community School District, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records.  However, Bennett Community School District may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District procedures.  The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the Bennett Community School District to include this type of information from your child’s education records in certain school publications.  Examples include:

•    A playbill, showing your student’s role in a drama production;
•    The annual yearbook;
•    Honor roll or other recognition lists;
•    Graduation programs; and,
•    Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members.

Director 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 (LEA’s) 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 telephone listings – unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent.[1]

If you do not want the Bennett Community School District to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the District in writing by September 1.  Bennett Community School District has designated the following information as directory information:

•   Student’s name
•   Address
•   Telephone listing
•   Electronic mail address
•   Photograph
•   Date and place of birth
•   Major field of study
•   Dates of attendance
•   Grade level
•   Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
•   Weight and height of members of athletic teams
•   Degrees, honors, and awards received
•   The most recent educational agency or institution attended
•   Student ID number, user ID, or other unique personal identifier used to communicate in electronic systems that cannot be used to access education records without a PIN, password, etc.  (A student’s SSN, in whole or in part, cannot be used for this purpose.)