<p>But a school system can’t build a policy around what you would feel comfortable with. They have to build a policy that most people would feel comfortable with. And they also have to build a policy that’s in accordance with privacy laws. Given all that, it makes sense for schools and school systems to have very strict privacy policies, not very lax ones. People who want their information given out can always give it out themselves, but people who don’t want their information given out can’t go and ask for it back once it’s been disseminated.</p>
<p>Don’t your parents have to complete all kind of forms at the beginning of the year, including one that either authorizes or denies the school authorization to put your information in a directory, release your name and/or photo to outsiders (if you’re in sports, or you win an award, or something), and so on? And don’t those forms, even if they’re signed, specify what information the school will give out (your name, your grade, your expected year of graduation, and not much more)? My kids’ schools had us do that every single year.</p>
<p>I suspect that somewhere along the line, you opted in for a student search–perhaps just by neglecting to opt out of it–when you were registering for PSAT or ACT or SAT or something, and you just weren’t aware of it, or you don’t remember it.</p>