School Resource Officers, School Law Enforcement Units, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - Guidance

Oct 15, 2026

Guidance explains how the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) applies when schools and districts disclose personally identifiable information (PII) from student education records for school safety purposes. It addresses scenarios involving security units, law enforcement entities, School Resource Officers (SROs), and other schools, including situations involving health or safety emergencies. It also clarifies FERPA’s flexibility for limited disclosures without consent, while noting related federal civil rights and privacy laws.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Table of Contents

General Requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Applicable to this Guidance

Q.1. Do any laws other than FERPA address the disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) from students’ education records or other disclosures of information on students?

Q.2. What is FERPA and to which entities does it apply?

Q.3. To whom does the information in this guidance apply?

Q.4. What are the rights of parents and students under FERPA?

(855)249-3072 [privacyTA@ed.gov](privacyTA@ed.gov) [https://studentprivacy.ed.gov](https://studentprivacy.ed.gov) School Resource Officers, School Law Enforcement Units, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) About PTAC The U.S. Department of Education established the Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) as a“one-stop” resource for education stakeholders to learn about data privacy, confidentiality, and security practices related to student-level longitudinal data systems and other uses of student data. PTAC provides timely information and updated guidance through a variety of resources, including training materials and opportunities to receive direct assistance with privacy, security, and confidentiality of student data systems. More PTAC information is available at [https://studentprivacy.ed.gov](https://studentprivacy.ed.gov. PTAC)[. PTAC](https://studentprivacy.ed.gov. PTAC)[ ](https://studentprivacy.ed.gov. PTAC)welcomes input on this document and suggestions for future technical assistance resources relating to student privacy. Comments and suggestions can be sent to [PrivacyTA@ed.gov](PrivacyTA@ed.gov). Introduction School officials routinely seek to balance the interests of safety and privacy for students. While the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) generally requires written parent or “eligible student”1 consent before an educational agency (district) or institution (school) discloses student education records and the personally identifiable information (PII) contained therein, FERPA gives schools and districts flexibility to disclose PII, under certain limited circumstances, in order to maintain school safety. The purpose of this guidance is to address questions about how FERPA applies to schools’and districts’ disclosures of PII from student education records to school security units, outside law enforcement entities, School Resource Officers (SROs), and other schools. While the information in this guidance is applicable to all educational agencies and institutions that receive funds under any program administered by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (Department), the discussion is generally focused on health or safety emergencies faced by public elementary and secondary schools. Many schools and school districts have their own security units to monitor safety and security in and around school campuses. In FERPA, these entities are called “law enforcement units” if certain conditions are met. Some schools designate a particular school official or office to be responsible for referring potential or alleged violations of law to local law enforcement authorities. Other schools contract with off-duty police officers to provide school security, while still others utilize the services of an SRO, who serves as an on-site law enforcement officer and liaison with the local police or sheriff’s department for reporting offenses and filing charges. Still others utilize a hybrid system combining one or more of the preceding methods. FERPA affords schools and districts flexibility when responding to circumstances that threaten the health or safety of individuals in their school community. Understanding the provisions of FERPA relative to such circumstances will empower school officials to act decisively and quickly when challenges arise. The following frequently asked questions detail how FERPA may apply in these circumstances. Although this guidance is focused on FERPA, there may be other federal and State laws, such as civil rights and privacy 1 When a student turns eighteen years of age, or enrolls in a postsecondary institution at any age, the student becomes an “eligible student”(34 CFR §99.3 “eligible student”) and all rights under FERPA transfer from the parent to the student. 34 CFR §99.5(a)(1) laws, that are relevant to decision-making regarding when and with whom schools and districts may disclose, without appropriate consent, student informa

FAQs

What is the purpose of this FERPA guidance for schools and districts?

It addresses questions about how FERPA applies to disclosures of PII from student education records to school security units, law enforcement entities, School Resource Officers (SROs), and other schools.

How do schools balance student safety and privacy under FERPA?

FERPA generally requires written consent before disclosures of education records and PII, but it also gives schools flexibility to disclose PII under limited circumstances to maintain school safety.

When does a student become an “eligible student” under FERPA?

When a student turns eighteen or enrolls in a postsecondary institution, the student becomes an eligible student and rights under FERPA transfer from the parent to the student.

Oct 15, 2026

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