Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

AtomicSchools, Inc. ("AtomicSchools," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of students, educators, parents, and all users of our educational technology services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our services, including the AtomicSchools platform, PassJack digital hall passes, ClassMessage secure messaging, and all related educational tools (collectively, the "Services").

We comply with applicable privacy laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), and state student privacy laws such as the California Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (SOPIPA) and similar state regulations.

2. Our Platform and Services

AtomicSchools provides a comprehensive educational technology platform that includes:

• Student Information System (SIS): Student enrollment, demographics, class scheduling, and academic records management
• Gradebook: Assignment tracking, grade recording, and academic progress monitoring
• PassJack: Digital hall pass system for tracking student movement within school buildings
• ClassMessage: Secure messaging platform for communication between educators, students, and parents
• Learning Games & Challenges: Educational games, quizzes, and interactive learning activities
• Attendance: Daily attendance tracking and reporting
• Behavior Management: Positive behavior tracking and incident documentation
• Scheduling: Class schedules, bell schedules, and calendar management

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information Provided by Schools and Districts

Schools and districts may provide us with:

• Student names, school-assigned student IDs, and demographic information
• Grade levels, homerooms, and class/course enrollments
• Teacher, staff, and administrator information
• Parent/guardian names and contact information
• School and district organizational structure
• Academic calendar and scheduling information

3.2 Student Information System (SIS) Data

Through our SIS functionality, we collect and process:

• Student enrollment records and class assignments
• Course schedules and section information
• Academic history and transcript data
• Special program participation (with appropriate permissions)

3.3 Gradebook and Academic Data

Our gradebook system collects:

• Assignment submissions and completion status
• Grades, scores, and rubric evaluations
• Teacher feedback and comments on student work
• Grade calculations and academic progress indicators
• Standards and learning objective mastery data

3.4 PassJack (Digital Hall Pass) Data

Our hall pass system collects:

• Pass requests including origin, destination, and purpose
• Pass duration and timestamps (start and end times)
• Pass approval/denial records and approving staff member
• Aggregate pass usage patterns for school safety and policy compliance

3.5 ClassMessage (Messaging) Data

Our secure messaging platform collects:

• Message content between authorized users (teachers, students, parents)
• Message timestamps and read receipts
• Attachments shared through the messaging system
• Communication logs for school record-keeping requirements

Note: All messages are subject to school review and are not private communications. Schools maintain full access to all messaging content for student safety purposes.

3.6 Learning Games, Challenges, and Educational Activities

Our educational games and interactive learning tools collect:

• Game scores, achievements, and completion data
• Quiz and assessment responses and results
• Learning activity participation and progress
• Time spent on educational activities
• Skill mastery and learning progression data
• Challenge completion and competitive rankings (within school context)

3.7 Attendance Data

Our attendance system collects:

• Daily attendance records (present, absent, tardy, excused)
• Class period attendance
• Attendance patterns and historical records

3.8 Behavior and Conduct Data

Our behavior management tools collect:

• Positive behavior recognitions and awards
• Behavioral incident reports (as documented by school staff)
• Intervention records and outcomes

3.9 Technical and Usage Data

When users interact with our Services, we automatically collect:

• Login timestamps and session information
• Device type, browser type, and operating system
• IP addresses (for security and access control)
• Feature usage patterns to improve our Services
• Error logs for troubleshooting and support

3.10 Information We Do NOT Collect

We do not collect:

• Social Security numbers
• Financial, banking, or credit card information from students
• Biometric data (fingerprints, facial recognition, etc.)
• Precise GPS geolocation data
• Health or medical records (unless specifically authorized by schools for nurse visits/passes)
• Data from personal social media accounts
• Information for advertising or marketing profiling

4. How We Use Information

We use collected information solely for legitimate educational purposes, including:

4.1 Educational Service Delivery

• Providing access to our SIS, gradebook, messaging, and learning tools
• Enabling teachers to manage classes, assignments, and grades
• Facilitating student learning through games and interactive activities
• Processing and tracking hall passes for student safety
• Enabling secure communication between educators, students, and families

4.2 School Administration

• Generating attendance, grade, and progress reports
• Supporting school scheduling and resource allocation
• Providing analytics to help schools improve educational outcomes
• Maintaining accurate student records as required by law

4.3 Safety and Security

• Monitoring hall pass usage for student accountability and safety
• Reviewing messaging content to prevent bullying and ensure student welfare
• Detecting and preventing unauthorized access to accounts
• Investigating potential policy violations at school request

4.4 Service Improvement

• Analyzing usage patterns to improve features and user experience
• Identifying and fixing technical issues
• Developing new educational tools based on educator feedback

We do NOT use student data for advertising, marketing, or commercial purposes. We do NOT sell, rent, or trade student information to any third party. We do NOT create advertising or marketing profiles of students.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share information only in the following limited circumstances:

5.1 With Schools and Districts

We share student data with the school or district that has authorized the student's use of our Services. Schools maintain ownership and control over their student data.

5.2 With Parents and Guardians

Parents may access their child's information through school-authorized parent accounts, including grades, attendance, messages, and progress reports.

5.3 Service Providers

We use trusted third-party service providers for:

• Cloud hosting and data storage (Amazon Web Services)
• Email delivery services
• Security monitoring and protection

All service providers are contractually bound to protect data, use it only for providing services to us, and delete data upon termination of services.

5.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government regulation, or if necessary to protect the safety of students or others.

5.5 We Never Share Data With

• Advertisers or marketing companies
• Data brokers or resellers
• Any party for non-educational commercial purposes

6. Data Security

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect your information:

6.1 Technical Safeguards

• TLS/SSL encryption for all data in transit
• AES-256 encryption for data at rest
• Secure, access-controlled data centers
• Regular security vulnerability assessments and penetration testing
• Intrusion detection and prevention systems
• Automated security monitoring and alerting

6.2 Access Controls

• Role-based access controls limiting data access to authorized users
• Multi-factor authentication options for administrators
• Automatic session timeouts
• Audit logging of all data access and modifications

6.3 Organizational Measures

• Employee background checks and confidentiality agreements
• Regular privacy and security training for all staff
• Incident response procedures and breach notification protocols
• Annual security reviews and policy updates

7. Data Retention and Deletion

7.1 Retention Period

We retain student data only for as long as necessary to provide our Services or as required by the school's data retention policies and applicable law. Typical retention includes:

• Active student records: Duration of enrollment plus school-specified period
• Gradebook and academic records: As required by state education records laws
• Hall pass logs: Current school year plus one year for reporting
• Messages: As specified by school policy (typically 1-3 years)
• Game and learning activity data: Current school year

7.2 Data Deletion

Schools may request deletion of student data at any time. Upon receiving a verified deletion request:

• We will delete or de-identify the data within 30 days
• We will confirm deletion in writing to the requesting school
• Backup copies will be purged within 90 days

7.3 Account Termination

When a school terminates their agreement with AtomicSchools, we will:

• Provide data export in a standard format upon request
• Delete all school and student data within 60 days of termination
• Provide written certification of data deletion

8. Parental Rights and Access

Parents and guardians have the right to:

• Review their child's personal information held by AtomicSchools
• Access their child's grades, attendance, and progress reports
• View messages sent to or from their child (subject to school policy)
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of their child's information

To exercise these rights, please contact your child's school, as they maintain control over student educational records under FERPA. Schools can facilitate access through parent portal accounts or by contacting us on your behalf.

9. Student Rights

Students using our Services have the right to:

• Access their own educational records through our platform
• Expect that their data will be used only for educational purposes
• Know that their information will not be sold or used for advertising
• Have their data protected by industry-standard security measures

Students 18 and older (or emancipated minors) may exercise FERPA rights directly.

10. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

Our Services are designed for use in K-12 schools and are not directed at children under 13 outside of the school context. We collect information from children under 13 only with the consent of schools, which act as authorized agents for parents under COPPA.

Under this school consent model:

• Schools authorize collection of student data for educational purposes
• Parents can review school policies and opt-out through their school
• We collect only information necessary for educational services
• We do not use children's data for commercial purposes
• We do not enable public profiles or social features for children under 13

11. California Privacy Rights

California residents, including students, have additional rights under SOPIPA and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• We do not sell personal information of any users, including students
• We do not use student data for targeted advertising
• We do not create profiles of students for non-educational purposes
• Schools and parents may request data deletion as described above

12. Data Privacy Agreements

We support and execute Student Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) with schools and districts, including participation in the Student Data Privacy Consortium's National Data Privacy Agreement (NDPA) program. These agreements provide additional contractual protections for student data.

13. Changes to This Policy

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

• We will notify schools via email at least 30 days before changes take effect
• We will post the updated policy on our website with a new "Last Updated" date
• We will maintain an archive of previous policy versions upon request

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, our data practices, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:

For data access, correction, or deletion requests, please contact your school first, as they maintain control over student educational records. Schools may then contact us to facilitate your request.