Legal

Privacy Policy

Guardian SmartCare is committed to protecting student privacy and complying with FERPA and other applicable regulations.

Last Updated: January 2026

Introduction

Guardian SmartCare ("we," "our," or "us") provides a privacy-first student wellness platform for K-12 school districts. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, protect, and disclose information when you use our services.

We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of student data in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), applicable state laws, and industry best practices.

FERPA Compliance

Guardian SmartCare operates as a "school official" under FERPA when providing services to educational institutions. We:

  • Use student data only for legitimate educational purposes as authorized by the school
  • Do not disclose student information to unauthorized third parties
  • Maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect student data
  • Destroy or return student data when no longer needed for authorized purposes

Information We Collect

Student Information

Through our platform, we may collect limited student information as configured by your school district, which may include:

  • Student ID or identifier (never Social Security numbers)
  • Grade level and school assignment
  • Wellness check-in responses (as configured by the district)
  • Platform usage data

Note: We do not collect personally identifiable information (PII) beyond what is necessary for the platform's educational purpose. We never collect sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, precise geolocation, or biometric data.

School/District Information

We collect information from school administrators and authorized personnel, including:

  • Name, email address, and phone number
  • School district name and location
  • Role/title within the school
  • Platform configuration preferences

Website Visitors

When you visit our marketing website, we may collect:

  • Contact information you provide through forms
  • Technical information (IP address, browser type, device type)
  • Usage data and analytics

How We Use Information

We use the information we collect only for legitimate educational purposes:

  • Provide Services: To operate and maintain the Guardian SmartCare platform for your school district
  • Aggregate Insights: To provide district-level wellness trends and insights (no individual student identification)
  • Platform Improvement: To improve and enhance our services based on usage patterns
  • Communication: To communicate with school administrators about the platform
  • Compliance: To comply with legal obligations and protect the rights and safety of students

We do NOT use student data for:

  • Targeted advertising
  • Building user profiles for non-educational purposes
  • Selling or renting to third parties
  • Any commercial purposes unrelated to education

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade student information. We may share information only in the following limited circumstances:

With Your School District

We share student wellness data with authorized school personnel as configured by your district's administrators.

Service Providers

We may share information with trusted service providers who assist us in operating our platform (e.g., cloud hosting, technical support). These providers are contractually obligated to protect student data and use it only for authorized purposes.

Legal Compliance

We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of Guardian SmartCare, students, or others.

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, student data would be transferred only under the same privacy commitments and protections.

Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect student information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction:

  • Encryption: Data is encrypted in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
  • Access Controls: Role-based access ensures only authorized personnel can view student data
  • Regular Audits: We conduct regular security assessments and monitoring
  • Secure Infrastructure: Our platform is hosted on secure, enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure
  • Employee Training: Our staff receives regular privacy and security training

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We continuously work to improve our security measures.

Data Retention and Deletion

We retain student data only as long as necessary to provide services to your school district:

  • Data is retained during the active service period as specified in your district's agreement
  • Upon termination of service, we will delete or return all student data within 30 days unless otherwise required by law
  • Schools can request deletion of specific student data at any time
  • Anonymized, aggregated data may be retained for platform improvement and research purposes

Parent and Student Rights

Under FERPA, parents and eligible students have the right to:

  • Inspect and review student education records
  • Request corrections to inaccurate or misleading information
  • Consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information (with certain exceptions)

To exercise these rights, please contact your school district directly. As a service provider to schools, we work with districts to honor these rights in accordance with FERPA.

Children's Privacy (COPPA)

Guardian SmartCare is designed for use by K-12 schools as an educational tool. We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA):

  • We collect information from children under 13 only with school authorization acting as an agent for parents
  • We do not knowingly collect information directly from children outside of the school context
  • We collect only the minimum information necessary for the educational purpose of the platform

State-Specific Privacy Laws

In addition to FERPA and COPPA, we comply with applicable state student privacy laws, including but not limited to:

  • California's Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (SOPIPA)
  • California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as it applies to educational contexts
  • Other state-specific student data privacy laws

We work closely with school districts to ensure compliance with their state's specific requirements.

Third-Party Links and Services

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites or services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through our platform. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes:

  • We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
  • For material changes, we will notify school district administrators via email
  • Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Guardian SmartCare

Privacy Officer

For questions specifically about FERPA rights or student records, please contact your school district directly.