Privacy Policy

Learn how Sisters School District collects, uses, and protects your information in compliance with FERPA, COPPA, and Oregon law. Transparent policies for families, staff, and students.

Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 1, 2023

The Sisters School District (“District,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of all visitors to our websites. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you access our websites and online services.

This policy is intended to inform parents, guardians, students, staff, and community members about how we handle data in accordance with applicable laws, including:

  • The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
  • The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
  • The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
  • Oregon state data privacy laws

By using our websites, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to all users of the Sisters School District’s websites and online platforms, including:

  • Parents and guardians
  • Students
  • Staff
  • Community members
  • Visitors accessing our websites, tools, and digital forms

2. What Information We Collect

3. How We Use Your Information

A. Personal Information You Provide

We may collect personally identifiable information (PII) that you voluntarily submit through:

  • Online forms (e.g., enrollment, contact forms, feedback forms)
  • Newsletter signups
  • Event registration
  • Survey responses

Examples include:

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Student name or grade (if relevant)
  • Address (if provided in a form)

B. Automatically Collect Data

When you visit our websites, we may collect certain technical information automatically:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Pages visited and duration
  • Device type (mobile, desktop)
  • Referring URL
  • General location (based on IP)

We do not attempt to link this data with specific individuals unless required for security or legal purposes.

We use collected data for the following purposes:

  • To respond to inquiries or form submissions
  • To improve website functionality and user experience
  • To maintain the security of our websites and systems
  • To provide updates, alerts, or important announcements (e.g., school closures)
  • To comply with legal obligations or district policies
  • We do not sell or rent personal information to third parties

We do not sell or rent personal information to third parties.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience.

Types of cookies we use:

  • Strictly Necessary Cookies: Essential for website functionality
  • Functional Cookies: To remember user preferences (e.g., language)
  • Analytics Cookies: To understand how visitors interact with our site (e.g., Google Analytics)
  • Embedded Services: Some pages may contain embedded content (e.g., YouTube videos) which may use cookies from those services

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Visitors from jurisdictions requiring cookie consent may see a cookie banner when visiting our site.

5. Third-Party Services

We may use trusted third-party providers to assist in delivering services. These may include:

  • Website hosting providers (e.g., Hostinger)
  • Form submission and email systems
    Analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics)
  • Accessibility tools (e.g., AudioEye, ReciteMe)
  • Embedded educational content (e.g., Google Drive, YouTube, etc.)

We ensure all vendors handling data meet appropriate security and privacy standards, and no data is used for advertising or profiling students.

6. Student Data and Compliance with FERPA and COPPA

We comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

  • No personal student data is collected without proper authorization or legal basis.
  • We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent.
  • Any third-party tools used for students are vetted for FERPA/COPPA compliance and data minimization.

Parents may request access to or deletion of data collected via school platforms.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information.

  • Access to sensitive data is limited to authorized personnel
  • Daily off-site and cloud backups are performed
  • All web traffic is encrypted (HTTPS)

While we follow best practices, no system can be guaranteed 100% secure.

8. Data Retention

We retain information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy or to comply with legal obligations. Contact form submissions and analytics data may be stored for internal evaluation and improvement.

9. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights under state and federal law to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you
  • Correct or update your information
  • Request deletion of personal data (subject to legal or educational requirements)

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [email protected].

10. Links to External Sites

Our websites may contain links to external websites (e.g., third-party education tools, social media pages). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites. Please review their policies separately.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. In case of major changes, we will provide prominent notice via the website or email.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this policy or your data, please contact:

Sisters School District

Email: [email protected]

Websites:

Address: 525 E. Cascade Ave, Sisters, OR 97759
Phone: (541) 549-8521