Privacy Policies

Certain student data of Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools students is stored and maintained in statewide longitudinal data systems. A law was passed in 2014 that requires districts to provide annual notice to parents concerning when a school district is allowed to disclose student data maintained in a statewide longitudinal data system to third parties.

• Under the 2014 law, a school district may disclose student data that is maintained in a statewide longitudinal data system to:
• Authorized personnel of an educational agency or the state board of regents who require disclosure to perform assigned duties, and
• The student and the parent or legal guardian of the student, provided the data pertains solely to the student.

In addition, student data maintained in a statewide longitudinal data system may be disclosed to authorized personnel of any state agency or to a service provider of a state agency, educational agency, or school performing instructions, assessment or longitudinal reporting, provided a data-sharing agreement between the educational agency and other state agency or service provider provides the following:

• Purpose, scope and duration of data-sharing agreement
• Recipient of student data uses such information solely for the purposes specified in the agreement
• Student data will be destroyed when no longer necessary for purposes of the data-sharing agreement or upon expiration of the agreement, whichever occurs first.

A service provider engaged to perform a function of instruction may be allowed to retain student transcripts maintained in a statewide longitudinal data system as required by applicable laws and rules and regulations.

Unless an adult student or parent or guardian of a minor student provides written consent to disclose personally identifiable student data maintained in a statewide longitudinal data system, such student data may only be disclosed to a governmental entity not specified above or any public or private audit and evaluation or research organization if the data is aggregate data. “Aggregate data” means data collected or reported at the group, cohort or institutional level and which contains no personally identifiable student data.

The district may disclose:

• Student directory information maintained in a statewide longitudinal data system when necessary and the student’s parent or legal guardian has consented in writing
• Directory information maintained in a statewide longitudinal data system to an enhancement vendor providing photography services, class ring services, yearbook publishing services, memorabilia services or similar services
• Any student data information from a statewide longitudinal data system requiring disclosure pursuant to state statutes
• Student data maintained in a statewide longitudinal data system pursuant to any lawful subpoena or court order directing such disclosure
• Student data maintained in a statewide longitudinal data system to a public or private postsecondary educational institution for purposes of application or admission of a student to such postsecondary educational institution with the student’s written consent.

The U.S. Department of Education has released final regulations amending the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The regulations have been published in the Federal Register and can be accessed at the online Federal Register. The regulations became effective January 3, 2012. (57 page .pdf version of regulations)

You may recall that the revised regulations attempt to give greater flexibility to states to share data that can be helpful in judging the effectiveness of educational programs and institutions, while maintaining safeguards to student privacy. You can visit the USDOE’s Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) website to view important documents that are being released with the new regulations, including two overview documents regarding the changes: one for state and local education agencies and another for parents and students. These documents may prove useful in communicating the regulation changes with your staff and community. Other documents available on the site include Guidance for Reasonable Methods and Written Agreements and updated model notifications for local education agencies.

Should you have questions about any of the issues raised in these final regulations, you may e-mail the FPCO at FERPA@ed.gov.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives parents, and students over 18 years of age, certain rights concerning a student’s school records. They have the right to:

• Look at and review the student’s school records within 45 days of the day they make a request. A written request should be given to the school principal that identifies the record(s) they wish to look at. The principal will tell them within 45 days the time and place where the records may be seen.
• Ask for a change to the student’s school record that they think is not correct or is misleading. A letter to the school principal should explain why the record is not correct and clearly identify what part of the record needs to be changed. If the school does not change the record, parents (or eligible students) have the right to a hearing.
• Approve the release of identifiable information contained in the student’s school records, except for information that FERPA can release without having permission. One permitted exception is for the release of information to “school officials” with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the school district as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the Board of Education; a person or company with whom the school district has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. School officials have legitimate educational interests if they need to examine a school record in order to complete a task.
• File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education about suspected failures by the school district to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920

Directory Information

FERPA also requires that the KCK Public Schools, with certain exceptions, obtain written consent from parents, or students who have reached the age of 18, prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records.

However, the school district may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have advised the school district to the contrary in accordance with district procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the school district to include this type of information in certain school publications. Examples include:

• A playbill, showing a student’s role in a drama production
• The yearbook
• Honor roll or other recognition lists
• Graduation programs
• 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 prior written consent.

Access for Military Recruiters

In addition, two federal laws require school districts receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide military recruiters, upon request, with three directory information categories – names, addresses and telephone listings – unless parents have advised the school district that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent.

If you do not want the KCK Public Schools to disclose directory information from your child’s education records, or from your education records if you are 18 years of age, without your prior written consent, you must notify the school district in writing. Please address a letter or a completed military “opt out” form .pdf to:

Dr. Sarah Lucero
Executive Director of Student Services & Family Support
KCK Public Schools
2010 N. 59th Street
Kansas City, KS 66104

The following information is considered directory information: student’s name, address, telephone listing, date of birth, 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, and most recent educational agency or institution attended.

Throughout the school year, different media groups (television stations, local newspapers, school production classes, district communications staff, etc.) will produce stories about activities and events happening in the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. These articles may include photographs and video that may be posted on the Internet, or printed or aired on television and cable stations. In addition, schools or the district may want to include news about activities and events on their own websites.

Parents who DO NOT want their child(ren) to be photographed or videotaped for news media or school publicity purposes, should complete a “Media Opt-Out Form .pdf.” Completed forms should be returned to your school’s front office so the school has a record of your request.

District photographers will make every reasonable effort to identify the primary subjects in photographs and to not publish photos containing students on the opt-out list. The “Media Opt-Out Form” will be good for the current school year.

This policy relates to classroom activities or school events that are not already open to the public. Public events such as sporting events, theatre productions, etc. are considered open to the public and outside photographers and videographers are not governed by this policy.

• Media Opt-Out Form Explanation .pdf
• Media Opt-Out Form .pdf
• Media Opt-Out Form Explanation – Spanish .pdf
• Media Opt-Out Form – Spanish .pdf

Other Consent Forms:

• Activity Consent Form .pdf
• Activity Consent Form – Spanish .pdf
• Military Recruiter Opt-Out Form .pdf

Under the federal government’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), parents have the right to know the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teacher. Schools are required to let you know:

• Whether the teacher has met state qualifications and licensing standards for the grade levels and subject areas he or she teaches.
• Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status where state qualification or licensing standards have been waived.
• The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree.
• Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

If you would like to receive any of the above information, contact the district’s Human Resources office, 913.279.2261.

Click here for the Parents’ Right to Know printable handout (in English and Spanish).

Click here for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Standard Complaint Resolution Procedure printable handout (in English and Spanish).