Last Updated: March 23, 2025
Welcome to Scholara's Privacy Policy. Scholara ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy of all users of our school management software solution. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform, services, and applications (collectively, the "Services").
By accessing or using our Services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Services.
Key Points:
We collect several types of information from and about users of our Services, including:
This refers to data that can be used to identify an individual, either directly or when combined with other information:
| Category | Examples | Collected From |
|---|---|---|
| Student Information | Full name, date of birth, student ID, grade level, enrollment details, academic records, health information (allergies, medications), behavioral records, special education needs | School administrators, parents/guardians |
| Parent/Guardian Information | Full name, contact details (email, phone, address), relationship to student, payment information, government IDs for verification | Parents/guardians during registration |
| Staff Information | Full name, contact details, position, qualifications, employment records, payroll information, performance evaluations | School administrators, HR departments |
| User Account Information | Username, password (hashed), security questions, profile picture, account preferences | All users during account creation |
We automatically collect certain technical information when you use our Services:
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process personal data under the following legal bases:
| Processing Purpose | Legal Basis |
|---|---|
| Provision of core Services | Performance of contract |
| Payment processing | Legal obligation and contract performance |
| Security and fraud prevention | Legitimate interests |
| Marketing communications | Consent (where required) |
| Compliance with educational regulations | Legal obligation |
We may share information in the following circumstances:
Student and parent data is shared with the relevant school or educational institution for educational purposes. This includes:
We engage third-party companies to perform services on our behalf, such as:
All service providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the services they provide to us.
We may disclose information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to:
In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or similar event, user information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify users of any such change and outline choices available.
We may share information with third parties when we have explicit consent to do so, such as for integrated educational apps or research studies.
We implement comprehensive security measures to protect your information:
Despite our safeguards, no system is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but we continuously work to improve our protections. Users should also take steps to protect their accounts (strong passwords, not sharing credentials, logging out of shared devices).
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience:
| Cookie Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Cookies | Necessary for core functionality (login, security) | Session or up to 1 year |
| Performance Cookies | Collect anonymous usage data to improve Services | Up to 2 years |
| Functionality Cookies | Remember preferences and settings | Up to 1 year |
Most browsers allow you to control cookies through settings. However, disabling essential cookies may affect Service functionality. Our cookie consent manager allows granular control over non-essential cookies.
We may use analytics services (Google Analytics) that place their own cookies. These are subject to the third party's privacy policies.
We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:
| Data Category | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Student records (active) | Duration of enrollment + 7 years |
| Student records (inactive) | 7 years after last activity or as required by law |
| Parent/guardian accounts | While associated with active student + 2 years |
| Staff accounts | Duration of employment + 7 years |
| Financial records | 7 years for tax compliance |
| System logs | Up to 1 year for security monitoring |
Data may be retained longer where required by law, regulation, or legitimate business needs (dispute resolution, contract enforcement). Anonymized data may be kept indefinitely for research and analytics.
As a global service, your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own:
Our Services are designed for educational institutions and not directly for children. However, we process student data on behalf of schools:
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:
You may request access to your personal data and receive it in a structured, commonly used format.
You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
You may request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements.
You may request restriction of processing or object to certain processing activities.
Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time.
You may lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe your rights have been violated.
To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 14. We may need to verify your identity before processing requests.
Scholara complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the primary U.S. federal law governing student data privacy in educational institutions:
Under FERPA's "school official" exception (34 CFR § 99.31(a)(1)):
Schools may configure what constitutes directory information in their Scholara settings. We provide tools to:
For U.S. educational institutions, our Data Processing Addendum includes specific FERPA provisions:
Scholara provides administrative tools to help schools fulfill FERPA parental rights requirements:
| Parent Right | Scholara Feature |
|---|---|
| Inspection and review | Parent portal access to student records |
| Amendment requests | Dispute flagging system with audit trail |
| Consent management | Electronic consent collection and tracking |
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect:
When we make material changes, we will:
For significant changes affecting data processing, we will provide at least 30 days advance notice before changes take effect.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices:
ScholaraBy using Scholara's Services, you acknowledge that:
For Schools: The individual accepting these terms represents that they have authority to bind their educational institution.