Why Student Data Privacy Should Be on Every Charter Leader’s Radar

Let’s face it—your school handles some of the most personal data families will ever share: addresses, grades, IEPs, even health records. And in today’s digital world, protecting that information is mission-critical.

In North Carolina, Infinite Campus serves as the statewide Student Information System (SIS). It’s a powerful platform—and the first line of defense when it comes to housing your student data. But even with a secure system in place, the responsibility doesn’t end there.

Student data privacy is more than checking a compliance box. It’s about ensuring that everyone—from front office staff to third-party vendors—knows how to handle sensitive data with care.

🔐 What Counts as Student Data?

Charter schools in North Carolina have recently shifted from storing student data in PowerSchool to Infinite Campus over the past 2 years. Within this new system, you’re managing items such as:

• Names, addresses, and birthdates

• Academic records, grades, and testing data

• Attendance and disciplinary records

• Login credentials for digital tools

• Health, emergency, and contact details

Even when stored securely, this data is only as safe as the people and practices surrounding it.

✅ 5 Smart Ways to Protect Student Data in North Carolina Charter Schools

Whether you're a start-up or a growing network, these practices will help your school maintain compliance and earn family trust:

1. Understand your legal responsibilities. Make sure your leadership team and data manager are trained on FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act). These federal laws govern how schools collect and share student data—even inside platforms like Infinite Campus.

2. Share a clear privacy policy with families. Families want to know what happens to their child’s information. Post your student data privacy policy on your website and send it home during back-to-school season. Be transparent about what data is collected, how it’s stored in Infinite Campus, and who has access to it.

3. Lock down access—on campus and beyond. Just because Infinite Campus is secure doesn’t mean local practices always are. Ensure role-based access for staff, and prohibit downloading student data to personal devices or unsecured drives. If your team uses spreadsheets for internal tracking, make sure they’re encrypted and stored on secure servers.

4. Vet and manage third-party vendors. Any digital learning tool or curriculum platform that accesses student data—especially ones integrated with Infinite Campus—should sign a data-sharing agreement. These contracts should clearly outline how data will be protected, used, and destroyed after service ends. In some states, there is a specific vetting process that vendors most go through, such as the process established in North Carolina by the Department of Public Instruction.

5. Train your entire staff—and plan for breaches. Most data breaches happen due to human error. Offer regular training on password security, phishing scams, and safe data handling. And yes—have a data breach response plan ready to go. Schools that act quickly and transparently maintain trust even in the toughest moments. Make sure your staff is careful how they share identified information. Encourage using student ID numbers in emails or documents instead of names whenever possible, especially when discussing behavioral, academic, or disciplinary information.

Why It All Matters

Student data privacy isn’t just about compliance—it’s about trust. When parents enroll their children in your school, they’re trusting you with their child’s future and their personal information. Every secure login, policy update, and staff training shows families that you take that trust seriously.

Need Support Managing Student Information?

At Charter Success Partners, we support charter schools by ensuring their student data is processed accurately, securely, and on time—especially through platforms like Infinite Campus or PowerSchool.

From enrollment uploads and data exports to monthly reporting and compliance checks, we handle the behind-the-scenes data work, so your school team can stay focused on serving students.

Let’s protect what matters most—together. Connect with our team to get the expert SIS support your school needs.