Data Management

Eanes ISD collects and maintains student information for specific educational, operational, safety, and legal purposes. The information we maintain helps us enroll and serve students, support teaching and learning, communicate with families, provide appropriate programs and services, keep district systems secure, and meet state and federal reporting requirements.

The types of information maintained may vary depending on a student’s grade level, programs, services, and activities. The examples below describe common categories of student data and how the District uses them.

Parents and eligible students have important rights regarding student education records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Eanes ISD policy.

You have the right to: 

• Inspect and review education records. Parents and eligible students may request access to education records maintained by the District. Eanes ISD will provide access in accordance with FERPA and District policy.
• Request a correction. If you believe information in an education record is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise violates the student’s privacy rights, you may ask the District to amend the record. If the District does not make the requested change, additional review and hearing rights may apply. 
• Have student information protected. Personally identifiable information from education records generally may not be disclosed without written consent unless FERPA or another law specifically permits the disclosure.
• Receive information about directory information. Eanes ISD designates limited categories of student information as directory information and restricts the purposes for which that information may be released. Families receive information about these designations and applicable choices through District notices and enrollment materials.
• Know when FERPA rights transfer to the student. FERPA rights transfer from the parent to the student when the student turns 18 or attends a postsecondary institution.
• Raise a concern about student records or privacy. Families who have questions about access to records, correction of records, disclosure of student information, or other student-record privacy matters may contact the student’s campus or the appropriate Eanes ISD department for assistance. FERPA also provides the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office regarding an alleged violation.

Learn more: 

The Eanes ISD Student Handbook
District student records policy
The U.S. Department of Education’s FERPA resources

Protecting student information requires more than secure technology. It also depends on clear expectations for employees, thoughtful decisions about when and how information is shared, careful review of the tools and services we use, and consistent practices throughout the life of a student record. 

Eanes ISD uses a combination of administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect student information. These protections are designed to reduce unnecessary access to student data, prevent inappropriate disclosure, and ensure that information is used only or legitimate educational and operational purposes.

Our student data protection practices include:

Limiting access to student information
Employees are given access to student information based on their job responsibilities and educational or operational need. Staff should access, use, and share information only when it is necessary to perform their assigned duties.

Using approved systems and services
Student information should be stored, shared, and processed using District-approved systems and methods. Employees may not enter student information into unapproved applications, websites, artificial intelligence tools, or other online services.

Reviewing digital tools and vendors
Before a digital resource that collects or processes student information is approved for District use, Eanes ISD reviews applicable privacy and security practices. When appropriate, the District also establishes contractual requirements governing how service providers may access, use, protect, retain, and delete student information. More information is available in the Digital Tools & Vendor Policy below.

Protecting information while it is stored and transmitted
The district uses appropriate security measures to protect student information both while it is stored and when it is transmitted between approved systems. These safeguards include access controls, authentication requirements, encryption and other security technologies, as appropriate to the system and type of information involved.

Training employees
Eanes ISD employees receive training and guidance related to cybersecurity, student privacy, responsible technology use, and the appropriate handling of sensitive information. Staff are expected to follow District policies and procedures when collecting, accessing, storing, sharing, or disposing of student records.

Sharing student information carefully
Student information is not shared simply because it is available. Employees must have an authorized educational or operational reason for sharing information and must follow applicable District policies and legal requirements. When information is shared with an outside organization or service provider, the District determines whether the disclosure is permitted and what protections are required. 

Retaining and securely disposing of records
Student records are retained in accordance with District records-management requirements and applicable state retention schedules. When records are eligible for destruction, Eanes ISD uses appropriate methods to prevent unauthorized access to the information. See Records Retention & Destruction below for more information.

Responding to suspected privacy or security incidents
Employees are expected to report suspected loss, unauthorized access, inappropriate disclosure, or other potential compromise of student information promptly so that the District can investigate, contain the issue, and take appropriate corrective action.

These practices work together with Eanes ISD Board policies, administrative procedures, employee responsible-use requirements, records-management practices, and applicable state and federal privacy laws. Protecting student data is an ongoing process, and the District reviews is privacy and security practices as technology, legal requirements, and risks change.

Eanes ISD reviews digital tools and service providers before they are approved for use with students or student information. This review considers instructional purpose, procurement requirements, privacy and security practices, and the type of student information the service may collect, access, store, or process. Staff should use district-approved resources and follow the established request process when a new app, software product, or online service is needed.

Eanes does not allow staff to independently choose any digital tool that collects student information. Tools and vendors must go through district review and approval before use.

Eanes ISD uses the 1EdTech TrustED App Dashboard as one resource for evaluating the privacy and security practices of digital applications. These findings support, but do not replace, the District’s own review and approval process. Technology Services and other appropriate District departments determine whether a requested resource meets Eanes ISD requirements before it is approved for student use.

Eanes ISD maintains student records only as long as needed to meet educational, operational, legal, and records-management requirements. The District follows state-approved records retention schedules that establish how long different types of records must be kept before they are eligible for destruction.

Retention requirements vary depending on the type of record. Some student records must be maintained for only a limited period, while others, such as certain permanent academic records, may be retained much longer. Employees should follow District records-management procedures rather than independently deciding when official student records may be deleted or destroyed.

When records have met their required retention period and are no longer subject to another legal or administrative requirement, Eanes ISD uses appropriate methods to securely dispose of them. Paper records containing confidential student information are destroyed in a manner that prevents reconstruction or unauthorized access, and electronic records are deleted or otherwise disposed of using approved District procedures.

The District also works to ensure that student information held in digital systems and by service providers is retained only as appropriate for the service being provided and is deleted or returned when it is no longer needed, when required by contract, or when the District ends use of the service.

Records may be retained longer than the normal schedule when necessary because of litigation, an audit, an open-records request, an investigation, or another legal hold. In those circumstances, records are not destroyed until the hold has been released.

Additional information about Eanes ISD records-management requirements and applicable retention schedules is available through the District’s Records Management & Retention resources.