Privacy Policy

Pinecrest Academy of Idaho (“we”, “us”, or “our”) respects your privacy and the privacy of your family. This Privacy Policy describes the information we collect through the parent portal (the “Service”), how we use it, and the choices you have.

1. Information we collect

We collect the following categories of information directly from you:

• Account information: first and last name, email address, phone number, home address, and password (stored hashed — we never store plaintext passwords).
• Household information: co-parent or guardian contact details you choose to add, custody arrangements, preferred contact methods.
• Student information: name, date of birth, current and incoming grade, current school and district, special accommodations (e.g., IEP / 504), and sibling relationships.
• Application information: the schools your student applies to, priority claims (sibling, staff, military, etc.), and any documents you upload.
• Communication preferences: whether you have opted in to SMS text messages, the exact wording of the consent shown, the timestamp, and the IP address from which consent was provided (required for compliance audit).

We also collect limited technical information automatically when you use the Service: IP address, browser type, pages visited, and timestamps. This information is used for security, fraud prevention, and to maintain the integrity of the enrollment process.

2. How we use information

We use the information described above to:

• Process applications, run lotteries, send seat offers, and complete enrollment;
• Send transactional emails (account verification, password resets, lottery results, seat offers, document reminders) and — if you opt in — SMS messages;
• Verify priority claims (e.g., cross-referencing sibling relationships);
• Maintain audit logs of administrative actions for FERPA, state-law, and internal-policy compliance;
• Improve the reliability and security of the Service.

3. Student records & FERPA

Student records submitted through the Service are educational records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”). We maintain these records and limit access to authorized Pinecrest Academy of Idaho staff with a legitimate educational interest. Parents and eligible students retain rights under FERPA to review, request correction of, and consent to most disclosures of these records.

You may opt your student out of directory-information sharing (name, photo, etc. appearing in yearbooks, directories, school communications) by contacting your school registrar or by toggling the “Directory information opt-out” setting on your student's profile.

4. Children's privacy (COPPA)

The Service is intended to be used by parents and legal guardians, not by children under 13. Although we collect information about students who may be under 13, we do so only with the consent and direction of their parent or guardian as part of the school enrollment process. Children do not interact with the Service directly.

5. How we share information

We share information only as follows:

• With Pinecrest Academy of Idaho staff who have a legitimate educational interest in your application or enrollment.
• With service providers that operate the Service on our behalf (hosting, email and SMS delivery, document storage). These providers are contractually bound to use information only to provide their services to us.
• To other Academica-affiliated charters when you explicitly confirm a cross-charter account link (so your applications across multiple charters can be associated to a single household).
• When required by law — court order, subpoena, regulatory request, or to protect rights, safety, or property.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Specifically, mobile phone numbers and SMS opt-in data are never shared with third parties for marketing or promotional purposes.

6. How we protect information

We use industry-standard administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the information we collect, including encryption in transit (HTTPS), hashed password storage, audit logging of administrative access, and access controls scoped to each charter. No system is perfectly secure; we encourage you to use a strong, unique password and to notify us promptly of any suspected compromise.

7. Retention

We retain account, application, and enrollment records for as long as necessary to operate the Service, comply with applicable state and federal law (including student-records retention requirements), resolve disputes, and enforce our Terms. You may request deletion of your account by contacting support@pinecrestidaho.org; we will honor the request to the extent permitted by retention obligations.

8. Your choices

• Email: transactional emails (application status, lottery results) are part of the Service and cannot be opted out of without closing your account. Promotional/marketing emails, if any, include an unsubscribe link.
• SMS: opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message. See our SMS Terms.
• Access & correction: sign in to view or update your profile, household, and student information. For FERPA-record corrections, contact your school registrar.

9. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated by email or by updating the “Last updated” date above. Continued use of the Service after such updates constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

10. Contact

Pinecrest Academy of Idaho
Email: support@pinecrestidaho.org