September 12, 2005
Honeoye Requests Social Security Numbers
Several Home School Legal Defense Association members residing in the Honeoye Central School District contacted us when they received a school census form requesting too much information. Among other things, Honeoye's form requested each child's social security number along with both home and work phone numbers for each parent.
Under New York Education law §§ 3241 and 3242 local school boards are authorized to take a school census. However, the law only requires the name, birth date, and residence of each child from birth to eighteen along with the names of their parents. While a school board is authorized to request some additional information it must relate to the enforcement of compulsory education or child labor laws.
Federal law prohibits school officials from requesting a social security number unless they identify the statutory authority to do so. If there is no statutory authority, the request for the number must be clearly identified as optional.
After HSLDA attorney Thomas Schmidt contacted Honeoye Central School District they deleted the fraudulently collected social security numbers and amended their forms.
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