SF Parents Upset Students' Info Shared

A group of Sioux Falls parents is unhappy with a school district policy that allows the district to hand out student information for a cost to outside organizations.

The school district's policy allows outside groups to receive students' names, addresses, telephone numbers, age and pictures among other things. Some parents say the district has no right to give out the information, but the district says a federal law allows them to do so.

Under the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, school districts can decide what student information is appropriate to give out and not just to the public. The district uses it in many ways, like class listings to hand out to parents, honor rolls published in the newspaper and the school directory. Outside organizations can request the information and pay $100 for every two grade levels.

"We've never gone out and and actively solicited,” Bill Smith with the Sioux Falls School District said. “The groups that have come to us and asked are youth-serving agencies; over half are senior class pictures or caterers for senior parties, that kind of thing."

Smith says the cost isn't for the information itself, but covers the time and resources it takes to create those lists. But parents say it amounts to selling their student's information.

"It's a violation of rights and it's also an overstepping of their duties. Their duty is limited to educating my child," Kevin Kunkel, a parent with two children in the Sioux Falls School District, said.

Kunkel has formed a group called the Parents Action Committee and says he and more than 300 other parents aren't happy with this policy.

"It could fall into the wrong hands,” Kunkel said. “There are weirdos all over the world. There are weirdos in the places where that information is disseminated to; you can't control that."

But the district says not just anyone can get a copy. Those interested must apply, and the district consults the superintendent and its attorneys.

"We're concerned about kids' safety. We don't want to do anything to jeopardize students and we scrutinize those requests," Smith says.

Smith says that information can't be separated. If you opt out of having your child's name in the directory, their name also goes off class lists, student rosters, theater programs or anywhere where those names might be published.

"That's the way our policy is, based on the advice from our school attorneys," Smith said.

But Kunkel says it goes too far and hopes to see a change.

"What I want is for the school board to be forced to listen to the wishes of the parents," Kunkel said.

Smith says the policy's been in place since the 1970's, when the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act was enacted. KELOLAND News asked what's to stop those outside organizations from turning around and sharing or even selling that information themselves, and he says they've never had a problem with that.

Click on the video player below to hear Smith explain the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and why the district can't seperate information.