Resident urges translation of FERPA notices and narrower directory definitions amid ICE concerns
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Summary
A Brookings parent asked the board to revisit directory information listed under the district's FERPA policy and to provide Spanish translations of opt-out notices after national changes affecting law-enforcement interviews in schools.
Bess Piodas, speaking during the public-comment period, told the board she had reviewed the district’s FERPA and law-enforcement interview policies and urged several changes. She said the district’s published directory information includes items such as "date and place of birth," which she described as overly broad and potentially risky given changes in how law enforcement (including ICE) approaches school interviews. She recommended narrowing the directory fields (for example, using "hometown" instead of "place of birth") to reduce the chance of exposing students to outside investigation.
Piodas also asked the board to translate the FERPA notice and the instructions for how parents file a complaint with the Department of Education into Spanish; she said the district’s current FERPA materials are only partially translated. She requested the board let the public know when the 2025 FERPA policy will be posted, noting prior years' cadence (June/July) varied.
Board members asked that Piodas submit materials by email for policy review and noted that the superintendent and policy committee would cross-reference her concerns with work already done by Dr. Schultz. No immediate policy change was adopted at the meeting; board members directed administrators to review the policy, and the item was slated for committee follow-up.
