Notification of Rights under FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, permits the district to disclose appropriately designated “directory information” from a student’s education records without written consent.

“Directory information” is information that, if released, is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy.

Examples include:

• A student’s photograph (for publication in the school yearbook);
• A student’s name and grade level (for communicating class and teacher assignments);
• The name, weight, and height of an athlete (for publication in a school athletic program);
• A list of student birthdays (for generating schoolwide or classroom recognition),
• A student’s name and photograph (posted on a district-approved and-managed social media platform); and
• The names and grade levels of students submitted by the district to a local newspaper or other community publication (to recognize the A/B honor roll for a specific grading period.)

Directory information will be released to anyone who follows procedures for requesting it. However, a parent or eligible student may object to the release of this information. Any objection must be made in writing to the principal within ten school days of the student’s first day of instruction for this school year. [See Notice Regarding Directory Information and Parent’s Response Regarding Release of Student Information included in Skyward enrollment process.]

The district requests that families living in a shelter for survivors of family violence or trafficking notify district personnel that the student currently resides in such a shelter. Families may want to opt out of the release of directory information so that the district does not release any information that might reveal the location of such a shelter.

The district has identified the following as directory information:

• Student Name
• Address
• Telephone listing
• Email address
• Photograph
• Date and place of birth
• Major field of study
• Degrees, honors, and awards received
• Dates of attendance
• Grade level
• Most recent educational institution attended
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height, if a member of an athletic team
• Enrollment status
• Student identification numbers or identifiers that cannot be used alone to gain access to electronic education records

If a parent objects to the release of the student’s information included on the directory information response form, this objection also applies to the use of that information for school-sponsored purposes, such as honor rolls, school newspapers, yearbooks, recognition activities, news releases, and athletic, music, or theatre programs. Note: Also see Authorized Inspection and Use of Student Records in the Boerne ISD Parent and Student Handbook.

Objecting to the Release of Student Information to Military Recruiters and Institutions of Higher Education (Secondary Grade Levels Only)

Unless a parent has advised the district not to release his or her student’s information, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires the district to comply with requests from military recruiters or institutions of higher education to provide the student’s name, address, and telephone listing. Military recruiters may also have access to a student’s district-provided email address, unless a parent has advised the district not to release this information. [See Parent’s Objection to the Release of Student Information to Military Recruiters and Institutions of Higher Education included in the Skyward enrollment process.]