San Diego Unified School District officials are notifying parents that all school districts in the state of California will be following a court order and handing over student records to a nonprofit community organization.
The Concerned Parents Association fought for the data in federal district court and won over the objections of the California Department of Education.
The nonprofit said it needs the information to see if California schools are violating the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other related laws. The database it will have access to includes all information on children, kindergarten through high school, who are attending or have attended a California school at any time since Jan. 1, 2008.
SDUSD, the state's second-largest school district, is not a party in the lawsuit.
"Nonetheless, as a part of this lawsuit, CDE has been ordered by the court to release all data it has collected on general and special education students since Jan. 1, 2008," the district's statement informs parents.
The database contains students' names, social security numbers, home addresses, course information, behavior and discipline information, progress reports, mental health and medical information, along with suspensions, expulsions and more.
The attorney for the Concerned Parents Association, Rony Sagy, told NBC 7 the information will only be accessible to a handful of people and will have a "Special Master" who will certify that security measures are followed.
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"The issue isn't why they want it," said Velasquez. "The issue is that it creates vulnerabilities and access points."
Students and parents can opt-out of the list by following detailed instructions from the district court.
To find out more about the court case and how to opt-out, visit the ID Theft Center's website at this URL: http://www.idtheftcenter.org/alertcaparents.html. The form, which you can find here, must be submitted by April 1.
Parents can also contact the California Department of Education at (916) 319-0800.
