Privacy Policy
Protecting Our Students, Inc. ("we," "us," "our") respects the privacy of our donors, partners, schools, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you interact with our organization, our website, and related services.
By using our website or providing information to us, you consent to the practices described in this policy.
1. Information We Collect
A. Personal Information
- Name
- Email address
- Mailing address
- Phone number
- Payment details (processed securely through third-party providers)
B. Non-Personal Information
- Browser type and device information
- IP address and location data
- Pages viewed and time spent on our site
- Cookies and analytics data
C. Donor Information
- Donation amount, frequency, and method
- Any notes or messages provided with donations
D. School Assessment Data
Data created by schools through our assessment frameworks — governed by Section 4 below.
2. How We Collect Information
- Directly from you (e.g., donation forms, email sign-ups, event registrations, assessments)
- Automatically through cookies and analytics tools
- From third-party service providers (e.g., Stripe for payment processing, Zoho CRM)
3. How We Use Your Information
- Process and acknowledge donations
- Provide receipts and tax documentation
- Deliver assessment services and generate reports for participating schools
- Communicate updates, safety alerts, and program information
- Improve our website and outreach efforts
- Comply with applicable laws and regulations
4. School Assessment Data — Ownership and Confidentiality
This section governs all data created through POSI's assessment frameworks, including responses to the 4-Level Safety Standard℠ and 94-Point Safety Zones℠ instruments, Dynamic Safety Scores℠, SafeSchool REPORTs℠, and any notes or documentation a school's team submits during an assessment (collectively, "School Assessment Data").
A. The school owns its data.
School Assessment Data belongs to the school or district that created it. POSI acts as a steward and processor of that data for the sole purpose of delivering assessment services to the school.
B. Private by default.
School Assessment Data is confidential. We do not publish, rank, compare, share, sell, or otherwise disclose any school's assessment data — including the existence or value of any score — without that school's prior written authorization.
C. Public by choice.
A school may elect, in writing, to publish its verified score or safety information. That election is controlled by the school's authorized leadership and may be revoked at any time, after which we will remove the published data within a commercially reasonable period.
D. Access controls.
School Assessment Data is visible only to the school's authorized users and to the limited POSI personnel and service providers necessary to operate the platform, each bound by confidentiality obligations.
E. No student records.
Our assessment instruments evaluate facilities, protocols, partnerships, and systems. They are not designed to collect personally identifiable information about students, and schools are instructed not to include student names or records in assessment responses. If student information is inadvertently submitted, we will delete it upon discovery or notification.
F. Aggregated research data.
POSI may use School Assessment Data in de-identified, aggregated form for research, benchmarking, and the advancement of K–12 safety standards — provided no individual school is identifiable in any published aggregate.
G. Deletion.
A school may request deletion of its School Assessment Data at any time by contacting us, subject to legal retention requirements.
5. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your information with:
- Service providers that assist in operations (e.g., payment processors, email marketing tools, CRM systems)
- Law enforcement or regulatory agencies, if required by law
- School safety partners — only as described in Section 4 (School Assessment Data) and only in de-identified, aggregated form
6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience and analyze site traffic. You can disable cookies in your browser settings; however, some features of our site may not function properly.
7. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, comply with legal obligations, and maintain accurate donation records. School Assessment Data is retained per Section 4.
8. Data Security
We take reasonable precautions to protect your information, including encryption in transit, secure servers, and restricted access. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.
9. Children's Privacy
Our services are not directed toward children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware of such a collection, we will promptly delete the information.
10. Donor Privacy Commitment
- We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information.
- We will not send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations.
- We will honor any request to be removed from mailing lists.
11. Your Rights and Choices
You may request to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate information
- Opt out of communications
- Request deletion of your data (subject to legal and operational requirements)
12. Changes to This Policy
We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on our website with the updated effective date.
13. Contact Us
Protecting Our Students, Inc.
13612 Mason Oaks Ln., Saint Louis, MO 63131
Email: info@protectingourstudents.org
Phone: (636) 254-9193