Higley board approves MOU with GradSolutions to offer outreach to withdrawn students despite privacy questions

HIGLEY, Ariz. — The Higley Unified School District governing board voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a memorandum of understanding with GradSolutions, an organization that helps withdrawn students pursue a high‑school diploma.

Member Van Hook asked whether the MOU could run afoul of a new state law that requires parental consent before sharing certain directory/contact information. Van Hook said she was concerned the agreement might override parents’ opt‑out rights. “I’m concerned that this might somehow violate this new statute with the sharing of student information,” she said.

District staff and counsel responded that federal law (FERPA) and state rules allow data sharing between educational entities when there is a legitimate educational interest — in this case, contacting students who have withdrawn so they can be offered services to earn a diploma. Counsel also pointed to MOU language requiring the vendor and its agents to comply with applicable federal and state laws for maintenance and disclosure of records. Administrators said the program would affect a small number of students (staff estimated fewer than 20 withdrawn students annually) and that GradSolutions has been vetted by legal staff.

The board moved and approved the MOU 5–0. Trustees emphasized that students and families would not be required to participate and that outreach would include parents.

What’s next: Staff said there is no cost to the district for the service and that the program would operate under state dropout‑recovery rules and the MOU’s data‑security provisions. Trustees asked for clarity on parental notices and the interaction of local opt‑out settings with outreach to withdrawn students.