Gresham-Barlow policy committee weighs narrowing district's "directory information" to align with state rules

The Gresham-Barlow SD 10J Policy Committee on June 12 reviewed proposed edits to the district's definition of "directory information" to align with state administrative rules, and members agreed to seek legal and technical guidance before forwarding a recommendation to the full board.

Committee members were directed by a written notice from an outside reviewer that portions of the district's current definition include items not covered by Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) Division 21. The committee reviewed the rule language and was told the district must remove two numbered items from its list of directory-information elements because those items are not part of the Division 21 definition.

The discussion focused on practical consequences. Several members said removing items such as grade level and most-recent-school-attended could hinder public recognitions and routine program announcements (for example, board recognitions that have historically included a student's grade). Members also raised concerns about fairness if some students opt out of releases while others do not.

To limit workload and legal exposure, the committee identified three next steps: consult the district's technology staff about whether the student information system can filter or tag records for recognition purposes; consult the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) or district counsel to confirm what is legally permissible under the OAR language; and then bring a clarified draft back to the full board for formal consideration. The committee reiterated it cannot itself adopt or change board policy.

The committee did not take a formal vote; members agreed to return the item to a future work session with legal and technical input. That next review will determine whether the district pursues a narrow policy that follows Division 21 exactly, adopts an opt-in process for recognitions, or pursues another compliant approach.