School Newsletter: Communicating With Separated and Divorced Parents

A significant percentage of students at any school have parents who are separated or divorced. Schools that manage this reality well, by communicating equally with both parents, maintaining clean records, and not becoming entangled in parental conflict, serve students better and reduce their own legal risk. A newsletter that reaches both parents in a separated family does not require complex systems. It requires intention and the right tools.

Know what FERPA requires

FERPA gives both biological and adoptive parents rights to access educational records, including general school communications, unless a court order specifically restricts those rights. A school that sends newsletters only to the custodial parent and does not maintain contact information for the non-custodial parent may be denying that parent their legal right to information about their child's education. When in doubt, communicate with both parents simultaneously.

Collect complete contact information at enrollment

The most common source of communication failures with separated families is incomplete records. Many schools have contact information for only one parent, or have a family email address that belongs to the household that no longer includes one parent. Enrollment procedures should collect separate contact information for each parent, including separate email addresses, and should ask families to indicate if there are court orders affecting communication or access.

Send newsletters directly to both parents simultaneously

Do not rely on one parent to forward newsletters to the other. In separated families, particularly in high-conflict situations, this relay is unreliable and potentially a point of manipulation. A system that sends each newsletter directly to all adults on record for each student removes the school from the middle of parental conflict and ensures both parents have equal access to the same information at the same time.

Document your communication practices

Schools occasionally face claims from one parent that the school is favoring the other parent in communications. A documented policy of simultaneous, equal communication with all adults on record is the school's best protection against these claims. Maintain records of who newsletters are sent to, when, and through what channel, so you can demonstrate consistent practice if challenged.

Handle court orders appropriately

When a court order restricts one parent's access to information about their child, the school must follow it. A newsletter that describes the school's process for reviewing and acting on court orders gives families confidence that the school takes legal documentation seriously. Accept court orders into the official student file, note the restrictions clearly, and apply them consistently. A court order is not a he-said- she-said situation.

Maintain neutrality in communications

School communications should never take sides in parental conflicts. A newsletter that implicitly favors one parent's household or perspective, or that includes language that one parent can use against the other in legal proceedings, is a liability for the school and unfair to the student caught between conflicting adults. Keep all school communications factual, neutral, and focused on the student's educational experience.