1. UNDERSTANDING FERPA

FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It applies to all schools that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records, which transfer to the student when they turn 18 or attend a school beyond high school.

2. GUARDIAN'S ROLE UNDER FERPA

2.1 School Official Designation

Under FERPA, educational institutions may designate outside parties as "school officials" with a "legitimate educational interest" in student records. Guardian qualifies as a school official because:

• We perform institutional services that would otherwise be performed by school employees
• We are under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of education records
• We have a legitimate educational interest in campus safety and security
• We are subject to the same restrictions on re-disclosure as school employees

2.2 Legitimate Educational Interest

Guardian has a legitimate educational interest in accessing security-related information because:

• Maintaining campus safety directly supports the educational mission
• Emergency response capabilities protect students, staff, and educational operations
• Security monitoring helps prevent disruptions to the learning environment

3. HOW GUARDIAN PROTECTS STUDENT PRIVACY

3.1 On-Premise Data Processing

Unlike cloud-based systems, Guardian processes all video footage and security data locally within your facility. This architecture provides maximum protection for student privacy:

• No External Transmission: Student images are never uploaded to cloud servers
• Institutional Control: Your school maintains complete control over all footage
• Limited Access: Guardian staff cannot remotely view footage without explicit authorization

3.2 Access Controls

Guardian implements strict access controls aligned with FERPA requirements:

• Role-based access limiting who can view footage
• Multi-factor authentication for all administrative access
• Comprehensive audit logs of all access to security footage
• Ability to restrict access to specific areas or time periods

3.3 Data Minimization

We collect and process only the minimum data necessary for security purposes. Our AI detection focuses on threat identification, not student tracking or behavioral profiling.

4. PARENT AND STUDENT RIGHTS

FERPA provides parents and eligible students with the following rights regarding education records:

• Right to Inspect: Parents may request to view security footage that constitutes an education record for their child
• Right to Amend: Parents may request correction of records they believe to be inaccurate
• Right to Consent: Schools generally need consent before disclosing education records
• Right to File Complaints: Parents may file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education

Requests to exercise these rights should be directed to your school's administration, as they maintain control over locally-stored security footage.

5. FERPA EXCEPTIONS

FERPA includes exceptions that permit disclosure without consent in certain circumstances relevant to security operations:

• Health or Safety Emergency: Information may be disclosed to appropriate parties in connection with an emergency
• Law Enforcement: Schools may disclose information to law enforcement in response to subpoenas or court orders
• Disciplinary Proceedings: Information may be shared in connection with disciplinary proceedings

6. OUR COMMITMENTS

Guardian commits to:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of education records in our possession
• Using education records only for the legitimate educational purposes specified in our agreement
• Not re-disclosing education records to third parties without proper authorization
• Returning or destroying education records when they are no longer needed
• Training our staff on FERPA requirements
• Cooperating with schools to respond to parent and student requests

7. CONTACT US

For questions about FERPA compliance, please contact:

Guardian Systems Inc. Privacy Team
Email: privacy@guardiansystems.co

For complaints about FERPA violations, you may also contact:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202