May a school disclose the number of students who have COVID-19 to parents and students in the school community without prior written consent? YES

 

May Schools Disclose Information about Cases of COVID-19?

• September 24, 2020
•  News

By: Kevin Herms, Director of the Student Privacy Policy Office

Do federal privacy laws allow schools to disclose information about cases of COVID-19? The Student Privacy Policy Office at the U.S. Department of Education provided guidance on that subject in March 2020. Today, we are reminding schools of this guidance and answering four of the most common questions that schools may face regarding privacy and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schools across the nation are working hard to keep students, teachers, and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many schools are wondering whether the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) allows them to disclose information about cases of COVID-19 to the community. The Student Privacy Policy Office provided answers to these questions in our March 2020 guidance. Subsequent to issuing the guidance, we have seen reports that states, cities, school districts, and schools are continuing to face questions about disclosing COVID-19 cases. Today, we are answering four of the most common questions...

https://blog.ed.gov/2020/09/may-schools-disclose-information-cases-covid-19/