The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Independence 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, Independence 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 Independence 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.

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/guardian'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 telephone listings – unless parents/guardians 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 Independence 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 30th of each school year.  Independence Community School District has designated the following information as directory information: 

• Student’s name
• Grade level
• Degrees, honors, and awards received
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Photograph

¹ These laws are: Section 9528 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 7908) and 10 U.S.C. § 503(c).