Student Data Privacy
Garfield County School District (GCSD) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of student data. Federal and Utah state law give parents and eligible students specific rights regarding the collection, use, and sharing of education records. The notices and resources below explain those rights and how the District meets its obligations under FERPA, Utah's Student Data Protection Act, and Utah State Board of Education Rule R277-487.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact the District's Student Data Privacy Manager:
LyNese Miller, Student Data Privacy Manager Garfield County School District Phone: (435) 676-8821 Email: lynese.miller@garfk12.org
Annual FERPA Notice
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that gives parents and students who are 18 or older ("eligible students") rights with respect to the student's education records. These include the right to inspect and review records, request corrections, consent to most disclosures of personally identifiable information, and file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.
This notice also describes the exceptions under which the District may disclose information without consent — including disclosures to school officials with a legitimate educational interest, to schools where a student is transferring, and in response to lawful subpoenas or health and safety emergencies.
Link: Annual Notification of FERPA Rights (PDF)
Directory Information Notice
FERPA allows the District to disclose certain "directory information" — items generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy — without prior written consent. Directory information is used for purposes such as yearbooks, honor roll lists, graduation programs, and athletic publications.
Two federal laws also require the District to provide student names, addresses, and telephone listings to military recruiters and institutions of higher education upon request, unless a parent opts out.
Parents and eligible students who do not want directory information disclosed must notify the District in writing by October 1 each year. The full notice lists every item designated as directory information.
Link: Notice for Directory Information (PDF)
Student Data Collection Notice
Utah law requires the District to inform parents about the categories of student data it collects, including necessary data (required by state or federal law) and optional data (collected only with written parental consent). The notice also describes prohibited collections, how data is shared, the benefits and risks of data collection, and the choices available to parents — including the right to opt into optional collections and opt out of certain data exchanges.
Link: Student Data Collection Notice (PDF)
Data Governance Plan
The District's Data Governance Plan describes how GCSD protects student data and meets the requirements of Utah State Board of Education Rule R277-487. It identifies the roles and responsibilities of the District's Data Manager and Information Security Officer, the District's adoption of the CIS Controls cybersecurity framework, training requirements for staff with access to student records, audit procedures, data-sharing controls, expungement request procedures, and the District's data breach response plan.
Link: Data Governance Plan (PDF)
Approved Applications and Data Sharing Agreements
GCSD participates in the Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC), which maintains a public list of every third-party application approved for use in our schools, along with the signed data privacy agreement for each vendor. This library shows the purpose of each application, the grade levels and content areas it supports, the FERPA exception under which student data is shared, and the data elements collected by the vendor.
Link: GCSD Approved Applications (SDPC)
A complete metadata dictionary of data elements shared with third-party applications across Utah LEAs is also available:
Link: Data Elements & Definitions
Report a Concern or File a Complaint
If you believe the District or one of its agents has violated your rights under FERPA or Utah's Student Data Protection Act, we encourage you to start by contacting the District's Student Data Privacy Manager. Concerns that are not resolved at the District level may be escalated to the Utah State Board of Education or the U.S. Department of Education.
To report a concern directly to GCSD, please complete the form below:
Link: GCSD Student Data Privacy Concern Form
Concerns may also be reported to:
Utah State Board of Education — USBE Student Data Privacy Hotline
U.S. Department of Education — Student Privacy Policy Office, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 2022