Collecting Social Security Numbers

Back in 2009, right after Governor Otter and Supt. Luna signed the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund grant, a new rule was approved in IDAPA,Idaho_Rules_Thoroughness.

This new rule required that every student in Idaho be given a unique identifier.   There are certain things a school district must provide the SDE.

School districts must obtain unique student identifiers by providing the following information to the State Department of Education for each student: (5-8-09)

    i. First and last name as written on a legal document such as birth certificate, passport, visa, social security card, or other such legal document. (5-8-09)

   ii. Date of birth. (5-8-09)

   iii. Ethnicity. (5-8-09)

   iv. Gender. (5-8-09)

Next is a list of things that a school district may provide the SDE:

b. School districts or LEAs may provide any or all of the following additional information to help ensure unique identification such as: (5-8-09)

   i. Birth mother’s first and last name. (5-8-09)

    ii. Parents’ or guardians’ first and last name(s). (5-8-09)

   iii. Social security number. (5-8-09)

   iv. County of birth.

 

This information may cause you to think twice about who you give your children’s SSN to.   The last paragraph on page 2 of the SSA publication http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10064.pdf,

“You should be careful about sharing your number, even when you are asked for it. You should ask why your number is needed, how it will be used and what will happen if you refuse. The answers to these questions can help you decide if you want to give out your Social Security number.”

So when we hear that the SDE isn’t collecting Social Security Numbers that isn’t entirely true.  The point isn’t that they’re not collecting every student’s SS#, it’s that they can.  Isn’t that alone a little disturbing.