Directory Information

Directory Information:

FERPA and the Nebraska Public Records Law authorize school districts to make "directory information" available for review at the request of non-school individuals. These laws also give parents and guardians a voice in the decision-making process regarding the disclosure of directory information regarding their children. The school district has designated the following as directory information:

name and grade, name of parent and/or guardian, address, telephone number, including the student’s cell phone number, e-mail address, date and place of birth, dates of attendance, the image or likeness of students in pictures, videotape, film or other medium, major field of study, participation in activities and sports, degrees and awards received, social media username and handles, weight and height of members of athletic teams, most recent previous school attended, certain classwork which may be published onto the Internet, classroom assignment and/or homeroom teacher, student ID number, user ID, or other unique personal identifier used by the student for purposes of accessing or communicating in electronic systems (but only if the identifier cannot be used to gain access to education records except when used in conjunction with one or more factors that authenticate the user’s identity, such as a personal identification number (PIN), password, or other factor known or possessed only the authorized user). Directory information does not include a student’s social security number.

Directory information about students may also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that market or manufacture class rings, sell student photographs or publish student yearbooks.

Upon request, the district will provide military recruiters and institutions of higher education with the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of high school students unless a student’s parents have notified the district in writing that they do not want this information disclosed without their prior written consent. Military recruiters will be granted the same access to a student in a high school grade as is provided to post secondary educational institutions or to prospective employers of such students.

When a student reaches 18 years of age, the permission or consent required of and the rights accorded to the parents or guardians of such student under this policy shall only be required of and accorded to such student. Within 30 days prior to or following the commencement of each school year and, for a new student who enrolls after the commencement of a school year, within 30 days following such enrollment, each school district shall notify each student who is at least 18 years of age or who will reach 18 years of age during such school year of (1) the option to make a written request to the school district that routine directory information for such student not be released in response to a request made by a military recruiter without such student’s written consent and (2) that any such request made previously by a parent or guardian for such student expires upon the student reaching 18 years of age.

Parents who OBJECT to the disclosure of any directory information about their student should write a letter to the principal. This letter should specify the particular categories of directory information that the parents do not wish to have released about their child or the particular types of outside organizations to which they do not wish directory information to be released. This letter must be received by the school district no later than September 1st.

Non-Directory Information

All of the other personally identifiable information about students that is contained in this school district’s education records will generally not be disclosed to anyone outside the school system except under one of two circumstances: (1) in accordance with the provisions of the FERPA statutes and related administrative regulations, or (2) in accordance with the parent’s written instructions.