The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal privacy law that gives parents certain protections with regard to their children's education records, such as report cards, transcripts, disciplinary records, contact and family information, and class schedules. As a parent, you have the right to review your child's education records and to request changes under limited circumstances. To protect your child's privacy, the law generally requires schools to ask for written consent before disclosing your child's personally identifiable information to individuals other than you.

• Parents' Guide to FERPA

• Guide to FERPA for Elementary and Secondary Schools

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) authorizes the School District of Pickens County (SDPC) to disclose student information that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy. This information is referred to as "directory information" and includes your child's name, address, telephone number, email address, date and place of birth, grade, participation in officially-recognized activities and sports, weights and heights of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, diploma or certificate and awards received, and the most recent previous school attended. The SDPC considers the voice and image of a student in photographs, digital images, videotapes, or other medium, as well as student work intended for publication or display, to be directory information.

Throughout the school year, your child will participate in many events and activities, which may be featured in school or district publications or covered by the local news media. Directory information including information about your child from district or school events, activities, performances, and special recognitions may appear in school- or district-sponsored promotional pieces including, but not limited to school annuals, brochures, fliers, newsletters, annual reports, programs for sports or cultural events, television shows, video pieces, slide shows, district or school Web pages, or in various media such as newspaper, magazine, television, radio, video, Internet, or displays. 

If you do not complete and return this Media Denial Form to your child's school within 15 days of receiving the form, you understand that the SDPC will be free to release or use your child's directory information, including his or her voice and image in photographs, digital image, videotape, or other medium, as well as student work intended for publication or display, for recognition of educational achievement or other newsworthy events as appropriate, or in the case of high school students, to the United States military for recruiting or scholarship purposes. Parents may revoke their authorization to release information at any time except when action has already been taken. Revocation must be in writing and must specify the day of revocation.

• Click here to download a Media Denial form.