The Kenosha News reported last week that the names and addresses of Kenosha Unified students are public records that are available for a fee. Twelve organizations have requested the addresses from the Kenosha district this year.
We checked with Racine Unified and found a similar situation. Students' names and addresses are public records, said Spokeswoman Stephanie Hayden. The district charges 9 cents per record for access to the names and addresses. The records are available under the State Open Records Law, which means the district can do little to keep the records from the public.
Since July, the following businesses and organizations have requested names and addresses:
The Prairie School - All McKinley, Mitchell and Jerstad-Agerholm middle school students
Racine Lutheran High School - All students in fifth to eighth grades.
Racine County Human Services Department - All students for the purpose of assisting with child abuse/neglect investigations
American Professional Driving School - All freshman, sophomores and juniors in the district to promote driving school
UW-Parkside - All juniors and seniors to recruit students.
L&B North Driving School - All sophomores to promote driving school
YWCA - All students at Wind Point, North Park, Brown, Red Apple, Fine Arts, Dr. Jones and Thomas for purpose of promoting before/after school programs at the YWCA
St. Catherine's High School - All middle school students to send application materials
Terikay Photography - Student Directory information of incoming seniors at St. Catherine's, Prairie, Lutheran and Walden for purpose of promoting photography studio
These children are minors; what right do they have to sell this info?
ReplyDeleteIt's compulsory education that requires parents to give that information. I'd have to home school children if I wanted to ensure my kids names weren't sold to people who shouldn't have them.
Another example of where 'choice' (read: freedom) is trampled.
ReplyDelete