The U.S. Department of Education warned K-12 schools nationwide, including Alpine School District, that withholding student records from parents violates federal law, according to a September 4 report.
In a "Dear Colleague" letter dated Aug. 26 and released Sept. 2, the department stated that schools must allow parents to inspect and review all education records. This includes records some districts have kept in separate filing systems, such as gender support plans.
The warning follows reports of schools withholding information from parents. Frank Miller, the director of the department's Student Privacy Office, stated that schools continue to adopt policies that shut parents out of their children's lives at school.
The department also tightened rules regarding student surveys under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment. Parents must now provide written consent before students participate in surveys involving eight protected areas, such as mental health, religious practices, and political beliefs.
The implications for Alpine School District are significant, as the district received $107 million in federal revenue during the 2021-22 school year. According to National Center for Education Statistics data compiled by Ballotpedia, that amount represented approximately 12% of the district's total budget. A more recent USA
Facts estimate placed the federal share at 9.3% for the 2022-23 school year.
Alpine School District officials had not commented on the implications of the letter by Wednesday. The district is scheduled to dissolve on June 30, 2027, at which time Lake Mountain, Central, and Timpanogos will begin operations as successor districts.
