Enrollment Packet Policies

Last Revised: May 9, 2025

Parents/students agree to all terms and conditions posted at OpenEdAcademy.com. as well as the detailed policies posted in the student/family handbook. All program requirements may change without prior notice. Except on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age, we reserve the right to be selective of the students who participate in our specialized program. All changes will be communicated to parents through announcements.

Local Policy and Compliance

The parent understands that the student is requesting a school choice opportunity and is attending a school that is in the local boundary school / district of residence.  The parent understands that any compliance required by their state of residence is the responsibility of the parent and not OpenEd Academy; while we can provide in some cases guidance on meeting local compliance requirements to maintain homeschool status or enroll in a virtual private school, ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance is on the parent and OpenEd Academy makes no claim or guarantee, and bears no responsibility or duty.

Notification to Parents and Students of Their Rights Under FERPA

OpenEd Academy is committed to safeguarding the privacy of student records and the company fully complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA is a federal law that affords parents the right to access and review their child's educational records, request the amendment of inaccurate or misleading information, and control the disclosure of certain personal information from those records. All official student records are stored, controlled, and maintained by OpenEd Academy.

Right to Review: As a parent or guardian, you have the right to review your child's educational records from the student’s school of enrollment. Digital copies of certain files received by OpenEd Academy during the application and enrollment process as required by our enrollment process are stored in our platform for reference.

Consent for Disclosure: OpenEd Academy may not disclose personally identifiable information from a student's educational records without the written consent of the parent or eligible student, except as permitted by law. There are specific exceptions outlined in FERPA where disclosure without consent is allowed, such as to school officials with legitimate educational interests or in response to a court order or subpoena.

OpenEd Academy defines a school official as a person employed by the company in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position; a person or company with whom OpenEd Academy has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or consultant); or a person employed by local and state education agencies.

OpenEd Academy defines legitimate educational interest as a justifiable need for access to student records in order to fulfill professional responsibilities and perform appropriate tasks related to the education or support of the student, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Official Role: Access to copies of student digital documents is permitted for individuals holding official positions within OpenEd Academy, like teachers, parent support specialists, IT administrators, and other staff members.
  • Purposeful Access: Access to copies of student digital documents must have specific, job-related purposes within the company and be directly linked to the individual's professional responsibilities.
  • Student Welfare: Access to copies of student digital documents contribute to educational or support services for students, covering areas such as academic advising and educational planning.
  • Privacy Protection: Those accessing copies of student digital documents maintain confidentiality, using the information solely for educational purposes and safeguarding the privacy of the students.
  • Amendment of Records: If you believe that information contained in your child's educational records is inaccurate, misleading, or violates the child's privacy rights, you have the right to request the amendment of such records. OpenEd Academy will forward your request to the student’s school of enrollment and, if warranted, the school can make appropriate changes.
  • Directory Information: OpenEd Academy may disclose certain directory information without consent unless the parent or eligible student has opted out.
  • Right to File a Complaint: Parents and eligible students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if they believe OpenEd Academy is not complying with FERPA regulations.

Please also review detailed Data and Security Policies posted here.

Accommodations for students with disabilities:

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (“504”), private schools will provide reasonable accommodations within its program scope to qualified individuals with Section 504 disabilities. Students, parents or employees needing accommodations under Section 504 should contact their homeroom teacher. 

Equal Educational and Employment Opportunity:

It is public policy to provide equal educational and employment opportunity for all individuals prohibiting all discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or veteran’s status. This policy extends to all aspects of all programs.‍

Parent responsible and liable for student safety and supervision:

In alignment with best practices and applicable state laws, OpenEd Academy requires all non-licensed employees, contract employees, and volunteers with significant unsupervised access to students to undergo a criminal background check and ongoing monitoring as a condition of employment, appointment, or assignment.

Furthermore, OpenEd Academy affirms the foundational role of parents in directing their children’s education. Consistent with the mission of our home-centered, school-supported, and personalized distance education program, each parent is fully responsible and liable at all times for their child’s safety and supervision. Parents agree not to permit any individual to have significant unsupervised access to their child without first ensuring that the individual has passed a comprehensive background check.

Additionally, as a condition of enrollment or participation in this specialized educational program, each parent agrees to the following terms waiving liability and holding OpenEd Academy and their child(ren)’s school of enrollment harmless:

“As a parent, I agree to hold harmless and to indemnify OpenEd Academy, its district and school partners, and all teachers, staff, owners, partners, educational providers, tutors, and mentors (collectively ‘Providers’) for any injury to person or property sustained by the student or by any person, firm, or corporation employed directly or indirectly by Providers or participating in connection with them, however caused. I also agree to indemnify Providers for any injury to person or property sustained by any individual, firm, or corporation, caused by any act, neglect, or omission of those employed by or associated with Providers in connection with the program or related services.”

Liability Waiver and Image/Video Release Form:

By participating in a Club, MeetUp, Field Trip, Showcase, or any similar event, I hereby authorize OpenEd Academy, Inc. ("Program") to use the likeness of me and/or my child(ren) in any photograph, image or video recording (collectively, “Images”) obtained by Program for any reason, including at in-person events, virtual sessions, course assignments/projects, etc., in any of its media, including printed and digital publications, public or private, for promotional and commercial purposes, without any remuneration to me. I assign all rights, title and interest I may have in or to any and all Images and related material. I am fully aware that the Images may appear in materials available to students, parents, faculty or staff of Program, and individuals outside of the Program community. I waive any right to inspect or approve the finished Images. Upon request, a parent may opt-out of this specific section of the waiver by sending an email to info@OpenEdacademy.com.

I release the Program and those acting under its authority from any liability related to the alteration, intentional or otherwise, that may occur in connection with the processing, editing, transmission, display or publication of the Images, and understand that Images may be cropped or altered for purposes of illustration. I understand that all Images and related files, films, etc., are the exclusive property of Program and I grant to Program the unrestricted right to copyright, publish and republish the Images.

I authorize my and/or my child(ren) to be invited to participate in Club communication platforms (i.e. Google Classroom, Discord, and others approved by Club Advisors) and I release the Program from all liability or damages arising out of such sharing.

Parent Contract:

  • I understand that my student is expected to complete all coursework and exams by the course end date, or pay tuition annually to remain enrolled.
  • I understand that plagiarism or cheating of any kind could result in termination.
  • I understand that I and/or my student must maintain and check an email account at least once a week.
  • I understand that stable, high-speed internet and adequate computer access is required and is the family’s responsibility.
  • I understand that I should plan on spending time supporting and/or guiding my student through his/her education.
  • I understand submitting or providing false or misleading information will result in being removed from the program.
  • I understand that internet safety and monitoring for my student(s), including any optional filtering, are my responsibility to meet online safety requirements and not the responsibility of OpenEd Academy or its partners or affiliates.

Informed Consent Form:

School provides a School Counselor to aid in the education plans and achievement of graduation goals of your student. There may be times a student shares information with the counselor which the student wishes to be kept confidential. Students have the right to confidentiality unless the information shared communicates a risk of harm to self or others. You hereby acknowledge that you are the legal guardian of the minor child, and do consent to the provision of counseling services by the school guidance counselor. You understand that while counseling is generally confidential, where there is risk of harm to self or others child abuse, or other legal requirements, the counselor may be required to release information to protect clients or others. You understand that in order to provide service in accord with the highest ethical and legal guidelines and to insure the highest quality of service, the above information complies with state law, federal privacy acts, and professional ethical standards.

All other school policies can be found in the OpenEd Academy Student/Family Handbook, including, but not limited to:

  • Student Technology Acceptable Use Policy
  • Prohibition of Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment, Hazing and Retaliation
  • School Policies