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Family Education Rights And Privacy Act - Directory Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requires that school districts, with certain exceptions, obtain written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child's education records. However, school districts 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 school districts 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
  • Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members

Directory information is information contained in an education record of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Directory information includes, but is not limited to, the student's name; address; telephone listing; electronic mail address; photograph; date and place of birth; major field of study; grade level; enrollment status; dates of attendance; participation in officially recognized school activities and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; degrees, honors and awards received; and the most recent educational agency or institution attended.

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 Elizabethtown Area School District to disclose any or all types of directory information from your child's education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the District in writing.  As the opt-out list is new each year, all parent(s)/guardian(s) who wish to prohibit the release of Directory Information should submit your request in writing annually regardless of whether or not you opted out in previous years. If the District does not hear from you each year, it will be implied that you give consent for the District to release the board-approved Directory Information. Requests to prohibit the release of Directory Information should be submitted to Phil Shenk, District Data Supervisor, at 600 East High Street, Elizabethtown, PA 17022 or phil_shenk@etownschools.org. Elizabethtown Area School District has designated the following information as directory information:

  • Student's name
  • Address
  • Telephone listing
  • Electronic mail address
  • Photograph
  • Date and place of birth
  • Major field of study
  • Grade level
  • Enrollment status
  • Dates of attendance
  • Participation in officially recognized school activities and sports
  • Weight and height of members of athletic teams
  • Degrees, honors and awards received
  • Most recent educational agency or institution attended