District switches to Infinite Campus (NC‑SIS); parents must create portal and sign FERPA preferences

Henderson County Public Schools told board members on Aug. 4 that the district will replace PowerSchool with Infinite Campus — the North Carolina Student Information System (NC‑SIS) — and that parents must create a parent portal account to access schedules, grades, attendance and report cards.

Staff said data managers and some schools have already been trained and that elementary schools will receive NC‑SIS training earlier in the week, with middle and high schools scheduled for Wednesday. Parents will be able to create a portal account without an email address; staff said the new parent interface is easier to use on a phone. For families that prefer paper, the district will continue providing printed midterms and report cards on request.

Because of the timing of the transition, the district said it will collect FERPA preferences this year by separate email rather than via the usual beginning‑of‑year process. The district emphasized the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act allows parents to restrict certain uses of student data — including whether a student's images or information may be shared in yearbooks, media posts or other school publications — and staff said schools will send a FERPA‑preference email to parents this month that must be returned to indicate choices.

Separately, staff summarized summer professional development for returning and beginning teachers, highlighting classroom management trainings for beginning teachers, instructional planning, use of new curriculum materials (Emerald Education math, I‑Ready, CKLA), and training on artificial intelligence tools for planning. Staff also noted new Center for Safer Schools Title IX videos mandated by state statute that are scripted for staff and students; the district will redeliver the staff training and the student‑facing videos must be shown within the first five days of school as required by the statute.

Board members asked whether annual trainings may be completed online; staff said most training modules are online and some are delivered in‑person or in professional learning communities. Staff said the district will provide details to parents and staff about the NC‑SIS rollout and FERPA preference process.