Mapping Out Texas’s K-12 Compliance Landscape

This guide addresses cybersecurity, safety, and data privacy compliance for K-12 schools in Texas. It outlines the challenges faced by school technology teams, particularly regarding overwork and underfunding, which contribute to issues in student safety and data privacy compliance. The document details several federal regulations, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which govern the handling of student data. Additionally, it discusses key Texas state legislation such as Senate Bill 820, which mandates the adoption of effective cybersecurity policies, and the Texas Student Privacy Act, which restricts the use of student data by online operators. The guide emphasizes the importance of compliance with these laws to protect student information and outlines the responsibilities of school districts in implementing these regulations.