San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education
Administrative Regulation 5125.1
Release Of Directory Information
This Administrative Regulation applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.
Categories of Directory Information That May Be Released
The following categories of student information may be released as “directory information” to the recipients identified in this regulation: (Education Code 49061; 20 USC 1232g; 34 CFR 99.3)
- Name
- Address
- Telephone number
- Date of birth
- Major field of study
- Participation record in officially recognized activities and sports
- Weight and height of athletic team members
- Dates of attendance
- Degrees and awards received
- Most recent previous school attended
Directory information does not include a student’s social security number or student identification number. Directory information also does not include a student’s citizenship status, immigration status, place of birth, or any other information indicating national origin (except where the District receives consent as required under state law).
Recipients of Directory Information
Directory Information may be released to the school-sponsored parent organization; prospective employers; military recruiters; law enforcement agencies; volunteers assisting staff with school related duties; private schools or colleges/universities.
Directory Information may also be released to community based organizations with District MOUs that are providing support services to students, or local, state or federal government agencies that are providing or offering support services to students and families, including agencies that can use such information to directly certify families for participation in the National Free and Reduced Price Lunch program such as the San Francisco Human Services Agency and the California Department of Education.
A separate subset of directory information includes the following school publications that will be accessible to the recipients listed above or any members of the public who are present at school activities/events and thereby obtain copies of the listed documents:
- A playbill, showing the student’s role in a drama production;
- Annual school yearbook, which may include the student’s photograph, activities or field of study;
- Honor roll or other publicly posted recognition lists;
- Graduation programs, which may include student names, degrees awarded and honors;
- Sports activity sheets, which may include student names, height, and/or weight.
Finally, the District may provide members of the media with information about awards and honors received by students, including the name of the award/honor, the student’s name, and the school location.
Notification to Parents/Guardians
At the beginning of each school year, all parents/guardians shall be notified as to the categories of directory information the District plans to release and the recipients of the information. The notification shall also inform parents/guardians of their right to refuse to let the District designate any or all types of information as directory information, how to refuse release, and the period of time within which a parent/guardian must notify the District in writing that he/she does not want a certain category of information designated as directory information. (Education Code 49063, 49073; 20 USC 1232g; 34 CFR 99.37)
In addition, the annual parental notification shall include a statement that directory information does not include citizenship status, immigration status, place of birth, or any other information indicating national origin and that the District will not release such information except as required by law without parental consent or a court order.
The Superintendent or designee shall notify parents/guardians that they may request that the District not release the name, address, and telephone number of their child to military recruiters, employers, or institutions of higher education without prior written consent. (20 USC 7908)
Parent/Guardian Consent
No directory information of a student identified as a homeless child or youth as defined in 42 USC 11434a shall be released, unless the parent/guardian, or the student if he/she is 18 years or older, has provided written consent that directory information may be released.
For any other student, directory information shall not be released if his/her parent/guardian (or student 18 or older) notifies the District in writing that such information should not be disclosed; or that such information should not be disclosed without prior consent. (Education Code 49073; 20 USC 1232g, 7908)
The written request must be submitted to the school principal within the first 2 weeks of school. Directory information will not be released concerning a student once the parent/guardian/adult student notifies the principal in writing that such information shall not be released to any or all of the recipients listed above. However, failure to submit written notice in a timely manner may prevent enforcement if the student’s information has already been included in printed school publications or otherwise released prior to receipt of the notice.
For a former student, the District shall continue to honor any valid request to opt out of the disclosure of directory information made while the student was in attendance at the District, unless the opt-out request has been rescinded. (34 CFR 99.37)