SSN for CA Kindergarten Registration? (x-posted)

[LemonPie]

The school is telling me that I MUST give them my son's SSN or he won't be able to attend school this fall (I actually have this in writing). In fact, they won't let me put in teacher requests next week without it.

I can't get a satisfactory answer from anyone about WHY they need it. The school gave me one answer, the receptionist at the district gave me another *guess* (waiting for a higher-up to call me back, but I have a feeling I'm going to have to bug them a few times before that happens). The CA Dept of Education is giving me the run-around. Every time I call, I get transferred to a new person.

I'm fairly certain this is illegal under the Privacy Act, especially considering that they haven't referenced any laws or statutes in the registration materials. But I need to find out for sure. It appears that they just WANT the information.

A friend in a different CA district was not asked for it at all, so I'm fairly sure this is not a state-mandated thing. I wondered if anyone else has fought this battle?

[mysticmomma]

http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs10-ssn.htm

How can a school use my Social Security number?

Publicly-funded schools and those that receive federal funding must comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act in order to retain their funding (FERPA, also known as the "Buckley Amendment," enacted in 1974, 20 USC 1232g). One of FERPA's provisions requires written consent for the release of educational records or personally identifiable information, with some exceptions. The courts have stated that Social Security numbers fall within this provision.

FERPA applies to state colleges, universities and technical schools that receive federal funding. An argument can be made that if such a school displays students' SSNs on identification cards or distributes class rosters or grades listings containing SSNs, it would be a release of personally identifiable information, violating FERPA. However, many schools and universities have not interpreted the law this way and continue to use SSNs as a student identifier. To succeed in obtaining an alternate number to the SSN, you will probably need to be persistent and cite the law. Social Security numbers may be obtained by colleges and universities for students who have university jobs and/or receive federal financial aid. In Krebs v. Rutgers, the court ruled that SSNs are "educational records" under FERPA (Krebs v. Rutgers, 797 F. Supp. 1246 (D.N.J. 1992)).

The FERPA text can be found at the web, www.cpsr.org/cpsr/privacy/ssn/ferpa.buckley.html. For the U.S. Department of Education's web site on FERPA, see www.ed.gov/offices/OM/fpco/ferpa/index.html.

Public schools, colleges and universities that ask for your SSN fall within the provisions of another federal law, the Privacy Act of 1974. This act requires such schools to provide a disclosure statement telling students how the Social Security number is used. If you are required to provide your SSN, be sure to look for the school's disclosure statement. If one is not offered, you may want to file a complaint with the school, citing the Privacy Act.

When the school is a private institution, your only recourse is to work with the administration to change the policy or at least to let you use an alternate identification number as your student ID.

[mysticmomma]

For virginia

5. Social Security Number The child’s federal social security number must be provided upon enrollment or within 90 days thereafter. However, a child may not be excluded from school if a social security number is not provided. The division superintendent or a person acting on his behalf may waive this requirement if he finds that an individual is not eligible to obtain a social security number in accordance with guidelines established by the Board of Education or if the parent is unwilling to provide such number. School divisions may assign a student who receives a waiver an alphanumeric number as a substitute for the social security number.

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Par...nrollment.html

[moondiapers]

Originally Posted by Tiger Lily

The school is telling me that I MUST give them my son's SSN or he won't be able to attend school this fall (I actually have this in writing). In fact, they won't let me put in teacher requests next week without it.

I can't get a satisfactory answer from anyone about WHY they need it. The school gave me one answer, the receptionist at the district gave me another *guess* (waiting for a higher-up to call me back, but I have a feeling I'm going to have to bug them a few times before that happens). The CA Dept of Education is giving me the run-around. Every time I call, I get transferred to a new person.

I'm fairly certain this is illegal under the Privacy Act, especially considering that they haven't referenced any laws or statutes in the registration materials. But I need to find out for sure. It appears that they just WANT the information.

A friend in a different CA district was not asked for it at all, so I'm fairly sure this is not a state-mandated thing. I wondered if anyone else has fought this battle?

tell them he doesn't have one and see what they say. They tried it with me, but backed right down when I told them we don't have one.

[LemonPie]

Well, I got a call from the district superintendent today. He said he doesn't know why they collect SSNs, that they've "just always done it" so he's going to look into the whole matter further and call me back. A good start, I think.

Can I REALLY be the first person who has ever questioned this practice? :

[BCFD]

Originally Posted by Tiger Lily

Well, I got a call from the district superintendent today. He said he doesn't know why they collect SSNs, that they've "just always done it" so he's going to look into the whole matter further and call me back. A good start, I think.

Can I REALLY be the first person who has ever questioned this practice? :

Doesn't that make you wonder??? My partner and I adopted our children and when we went to the Social Security office to get their SSN #'s changed they acted like we were the only lesbian couple in all of CA to ever adopt children together. They honestly had no idea how to handle it. It was a complete mess.

I am glad I read this post because I know that when it's time to register our oldest for kindy my DP will have a fit over giving this info. out. She is the type to question everything!! She even reads the credit card terms and agreement "brochure", highlights certain parts, and CALLS them about it! I always said she would make a great contracts attorney.

Good luck!

[LemonPie]

I am glad I read this post because I know that when it's time to register our oldest for kindy my DP will have a fit over giving this info. out.

As well she should!

So, the principal called me this morning. I guess they have to be CSIS compliant (something to do with reporting testing scores, she couldn't remember what the acronym stood for) and they were using SSNs as ID numbers for that. . . BUT she said they've sent them in without SSNs before because they've had kids who didn't have them for one reason or another. So she told me that if I don't feel comfortable sharing that info, I don't have to.

HOORAY! I had this fear that I was going to have to fight this tooth and nail and start the year out as "That Mom", you know? LOL--I would have done it, but I'm glad it was resolved so easily by just asking a question.

But again, I seriously cannot believe that I am the first person to even question this with the school or the district office!!!!