BOE Seeking Comment on Policy KBA, Policy on Public Information

The Montgomery County Board of Education is seeking comments on proposed revisions to Board Policy KBA, Policy on Public Information. The draft revised policy sets forth a vision for effective communication with members of the Montgomery County community across a variety of existing and emerging media and communication channels appropriate to the purposes, needs, opportunities and obligations of the school district and the community. The Board seeks to encourage respect, trust, confidence and a unified understanding of the educational program and operations of MCPS. Furthermore, the proposed revisions will document the Board’s expectations for communicating appropriate information to the public in a timely and complete manner, while striving to confirm the accuracy of such information and to provide clear, concise and publicly accessible explanatory context, when possible.

Additional revisions are being proposed to Policy KBA, Policy on Public Information, to affirm the value students, staff, parents/guardians and other members of the community place on student data privacy. Furthermore, the proposed revisions affirm that the Board is committed to adhering to all legal obligations regarding the protection, and appropriate disclosure, of student and employee information, in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations regarding data collection, privacy and security, including but not limited to the requirements of Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, the Maryland Student Privacy Act of 2015 and the Maryland Public Information Act. These revisions incorporate and expand concepts and policy-level guidance from Board Policy KBB, Release of Data , which will be recommended for rescission upon adoption of revised Policy KBA, Policy on Public Information.

The Board Policy Management Committee reviewed Policy KBA, at its October 23, 2018, meeting and recommended the draft revised policy for tentative action by the full Board.

On January 8, 2019, the Board considered these draft revisions to Policy KBA, and recommended that the policy be sent out for public comment.

Read Draft Board Policy KBA, Policy on Public Information

Read annotated Board Policy KBB, Release of Data

Comment on Draft Board Policy KBA, Policy on Public Information