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DIRECTORY INFORMATION DISCLOSURE FOR THE ARMED FORCES AND/OR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR GRADES 9, 10, 11 & 12

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law, requires that the Bethlehem Area School District, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records. However, the BASD 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 BASD 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. Two federal laws require local school districts 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 school district that they do not want their child’s information disclosed without their prior written consent.(1) 

The BASD has designated the following information as directory information:

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

If you do not want the BASD to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, please download the form (by clicking the link to the right) and return the completed form to the Child Accounting Department, Bethlehem Area School District, 1516 Sycamore Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18017, within 20 days of registration. This will be for your child’s entire high school career unless you the parent notify the BASD in writing otherwise. This will not prohibit your child from being included in the high school year book, athletic programs, etc.

Do not hesitate to contact Child Accounting at 861-0500, extension 60273 or 60274, with any questions or concerns.

Footnotes:
1. These laws are Section 9528 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7908), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110), the education bill, and 10 U.S.C. 503, as amended by section 544, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (P. 107-107) the legislation that provides funding for the Nation’s armed forces.