Maine’s Civil Liberties Union wants parents to know they can opt out of a plan to have students identified by their Social Security numbers. Education officials say the numbers are needed to track student progress in college and on into the workforce, while MCLU representatives are concerned the policy may put students at risk for identity theft.
The MCLU has issued a statement letting parents know they still have the final say when it comes to disclosing their child’s Social Security number. The state’s Department of Education sent out letters to school districts statewide which state that school officials must inform parents that they are not required to submit their children’s numbers.
School districts in Maine are expected to begin collecting the information this fall at the beginning of the new school year.
According to privacy rights law, publicly-funded schools and those that receive federal funding must comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act in order to retain their funding. One of FERPA’s provisions is that the school must obtain written consent for the release of educational records or personally identifiable information, with some exceptions. Many schools use SSNs on identification cards or distribute class rosters or grades containing SSNs. If they do so, it is a violation of FERPA.
But many schools and universities do not interpret the law in this way.
If your child’s school requires your child’s Social Security number, it is your right as a parent to inquire as to how the information will be used and secured. It is also your right to request that another number be used, to protect your child. You may need to be persistent, however, and cite the law.
If your child attends a private school, your only recourse may be to work with the school’s administration to change the policy or allow your child to use a different number as a student identifier.
Tags: Identity Theft, Maine, privacy law, school, Social Security
