CMS values the security and privacy of the data collected about your student. We are bound by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law designed to protect the privacy of student education records. This law requires public school districts to inform parents of their rights concerning student education records. This mandatory disclosure is contained within the annual CMS Parent Student Handbook in a section titled Notification of Rights Under FERPA (https://www.cms.k12.nc.us/families/resources/Documents/2020-2021%20Parent-Student%20Handbook.pdf).
FERPA permits CMS to disclose certain student personally identifiable information (PII) without written consent. This information is designated as “directory information”. The disclosure of directory information is generally not considered harmful. CMS has designated the following student data as directory information:
Student name
Address
Telephone listing
Electronic mail address
Photograph
Date and place of birth
Major field of study
Dates of attendance
Grade level
Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
Weight and height of members of athletic teams
Degrees, honors, academic recognitions and awards received
The most recent school attended
The primary purpose of directory information is to allow CMS to include student information 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
Sports programs
Graduation programs
Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members
The law provides that CMS may release this information without parental consent. However, School board policy restricts the release of directory information only to outside organizations that offer and/or supply school memorabilia such as companies that manufacture class rings, publish yearbooks or provide graduation products.
