Franklin West Supervisory Union Annual Notification of Designation of Directory Information

To: All parents or guardians of eligible students, and eligible students currently attending schools in Franklin West Supervisory Union (including Bellows Free Academy – Fairfax, Fletcher Elementary School, Georgia Elementary Middle School)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Franklin West Supervisory Union, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child's education records. However, the schools in Franklin West Supervisory Union 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 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 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 three directory information categories - 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.

If you do not want the School District to disclose directory information from your child's education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the principal of the school your child attends in writing by September 15, 2005. The following types of personally identifiable have been designated as directory information:

·        Student's name

·        Participation in officially recognized activities and sports

·        Address

·        Telephone listing

·        Degrees, honors, and awards received

·        Date and place of birth

·        Dates of attendance

·        Grade level

·        The most recent educational agency or institution attended