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Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law, requires that Thompson School District, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records.

However, Thompson 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 Thompson 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,
  • annual yearbook,
  • honor roll or other recognition lists,
  • graduation programs, etc.

If you do not want Thompson 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 7 or the following Monday if September 7 falls on a weekend.

Thompson School District has designated the following information as directory information:

  • student's name,
  • e-mail address,
  • photograph,
  • date and place of birth,
  • major field of study,
  • participation in officially recognized activities and sports,
  • weight and height of members of athletic teams,
  • dates of attendance,
  • grade level,
  • enrollment status,
  • degrees,
  • honors and awards received,
  • the most recent previous education agency or institution attended by the student,
  • and student identification number or other unique personal identifier displayed on a student ID badge or used by the student to access or communicate in electronic systems, but only if the identifier cannot be used to gain access to student education records except when used in conjunction with one or more factors that authenticate the user’s identity, such as a password known only by the authorized user.