Directory Information/Opt Out Form

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law, requires Yelm Community Schools, with certain exceptions, to obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records. However, Yelm Community Schools 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 Yelm Community Schools 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 presentation;
• 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. In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEA) 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 LEA that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent.

If you do not want Yelm Community Schools to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the District in writing by SEPTEMBER 30 each school year. (Click here to view and print the OPT OUT FORM.) Yelm Community Schools has designated the following information as directory information:

• Student’s name
• Parent/Guardian name(s)
• Address
• Telephone listing
• Grade level
• Date of birth
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Photograph
• Degrees, honors, and awards received
• Dates of attendance
• Grade level
• The most recent educational agency or institution attended
• Post high school career plans

* These laws are: Section 9528 or the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7908), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 1002 (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.L. 107-107), the legislation that provides funding for the nation’s armed forces.