August 2025
Dear Parent, Guardian, or Eligible Student:
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects student education records from disclosure without parent/guardian or eligible student (age 18 or older) consent. An exception allows educational agencies to disclose certain “directory information” without consent. This information can only be disclosed if “it would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.”
According to the Board of Education’s student records policy (5500), the following student records have been designated as directory information and may be released without parental consent unless the parent informs the district in writing, exercising their right to refuse the release of such directory information, within 14 days of receiving this notice:
· Name
· ID number, user ID, or other unique personal identifier used by a student for purposes of accessing or communicating in electronic systems (only if the ID cannot be used to gain access to education records except when used in conjunction with one or more factors that authenticate the student’s identity)
· Address (except information about a homeless student’s living situation)
· Telephone number
· Date and place of birth
· Major course of study
· Participation in school activities or sports
· Weight and height if a member of an athletic team
· Dates of attendance
· Degrees and awards received
· Most recent school attended
· Grade level
· Photograph
· E-mail address
· Enrollment status
The school district has limited disclosure authority, meaning that the district can limit disclosure of its designated directory information to specific parties, for specific purposes, or both. This permits the district to use student directory information for limited purposes such as the school yearbook, honor roll lists, graduation programs, playbills, and other similar uses without obtaining individual parental consent.
The release of student directory information should not be confused with the release of names, addresses, and telephone listings of eligible students (i.e., a student seventeen (17) years of age or older or in the eleventh grade or its equivalent or higher) to military recruiters. In compliance with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the National Defense Authorization Act, the school district routinely releases this information to military recruiters upon request, subject to a parent’s or eligible student’s written request not to disclose such information.
For more information about the Board policy on student records (5500), please go to https://boardpolicyonline.com/?b=monticello_central&s=46790.
Very truly yours,
Matthew T. Evans, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools