Privacy Policy

Effective Date: October 30, 2026
Last Updated: October 30, 2026

Introduction

Hargrave (“we,” “us,” “our,” or “the School”) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our students, families, employees, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, use our services, or interact with our school community.

Information We Collect

Personal Information We Collect Directly

Student and Family Information:

Student names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses
Parent/guardian contact information and emergency contacts
Academic records, grades, and educational assessments
Health and medical information (as required for student safety)
Financial information for tuition and fee processing
Photos and videos for educational and promotional purposes (with consent)
Disciplinary records and behavioral assessments

Prospective Family Information:

Contact information from inquiry forms and applications
Academic transcripts and test scores
Letters of recommendation and personal statements
Interview notes and admissions assessments

Employee Information:

Contact information and employment records
Background check results and professional references
Payroll and benefits information
Performance evaluations and professional development records

Information Collected Automatically

Website Usage Information:

IP addresses and device identifiers
Browser type and operating system
Pages visited and time spent on our website
Referring websites and search terms used
Cookies and similar tracking technologies

Communication Records:

Email correspondence and attachments
Text message consent and communication history
Phone call logs and voicemail messages
Social media interactions with official school accounts

Text Message Communications

Hargrave collects mobile phone numbers only from individuals who explicitly consent to receive text messages about educational matters. We use this information solely for school-related communications including emergency notifications, academic updates, and administrative announcements. We do not sell, rent, or share phone numbers with third parties for marketing purposes. This does not include sharing phone numbers in hashed (encoded) form with the advertising and measurement partners described below, which do not use them to send you text messages. Mobile opt-in data and consent are never shared with third parties. Message frequency varies based on school calendar and emergency situations, typically 2-4 messages per month during the school year. Standard message and data rates may apply based on your mobile carrier plan.

Types of Text Messages

Emergency notifications and school closures
Academic calendar updates and important dates
Parent-teacher conference scheduling and reminders
Student achievement notifications and progress updates
Enrollment and admissions process communications
Event notifications for school activities and programs

Opt-Out Procedures

Reply “STOP” to any text message to immediately unsubscribe from all SMS communications
Contact our main office at 4344322481 to update your communication preferences
Email marketing@hargrave.edu to request changes to your SMS consent status
Opt-out requests are processed immediately and confirmed within 24 hours
You may opt back in at any time by contacting our office

How We Use Your Information

Educational Purposes

Providing educational services and academic support
Maintaining student records and academic transcripts
Communicating important school information and updates
Coordinating parent-teacher conferences and meetings
Managing enrollment and admissions processes

Administrative Operations

Processing tuition payments and financial aid
Ensuring campus safety and security
Maintaining facilities and transportation services
Conducting school events and activities
Managing employee relations and payroll

Communication and Engagement

Sending emergency notifications and safety alerts
Providing academic calendar updates and reminders
Sharing student achievement and progress information
Coordinating volunteer opportunities and school events
Marketing school programs to prospective families (with consent)

Legal and Safety Requirements

Complying with federal and state educational regulations
Reporting to government agencies as required by law
Conducting background checks for safety purposes
Maintaining records for accreditation and audit purposes

Educational Partners:

Other schools for student transfers and academic collaboration
Educational service providers and tutoring organizations
College admissions offices and scholarship organizations
Standardized testing organizations and educational assessment companies

Service Providers:

Technology vendors for website hosting and data management
Payment processors for tuition and fee collection
Background check companies for employee screening
Insurance providers for coverage and claims processing
Advertising, analytics and marketing service providers (see “Advertising and Measurement Partners”)

Advertising and Measurement Partners:

We work with advertising and analytics providers, including Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google, Microsoft, and The Trade Desk, and with marketing service providers who operate our admissions website, forms and advertising on our behalf. To show information about Hargrave to prospective families, to avoid showing admissions advertising to families who are already part of the Hargrave community, and to measure how well our advertising works, we may:

share a parent or guardian’s email address, phone number, name, and city, state or ZIP code with these platforms in a hashed (encoded) form, together with technical information such as IP address, browser type, and advertising click identifiers; and
use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies on our website that collect information about your visit and the ads you interacted with.

These partners process this information under their own business terms and privacy policies. We do not share students’ contact information, and we do not share health, disciplinary, or academic information, with advertising partners.

We also use visitor identification services, including Customers.ai and the identity partners it works with, such as LiveIntent. These services use cookies and similar identifiers to recognize your browser, and may match your visit to our website with information they already hold, such as a name, an email address or a hashed (encoded) email address. They may tell us that a matched person visited our website and which pages they viewed, and they may use this information for their other clients as described in their own privacy policies.

To opt out of having your contact information used for advertising, email marketing@hargrave.edu. You can also control ad personalization in your Meta and Google account settings, and opt out of interest-based advertising at optout.aboutads.info and www.networkadvertising.org/choices. To opt out of visitor identification, use the opt-out pages of Customers.ai (customers.ai/opt-out) and LiveIntent (privacy.liveintent.com). To opt out of The Trade Desk, visit adsrvr.org. Some of these services also honor the Global Privacy Control setting available in some browsers. For more choices, see “Your Choices About Sale or Sharing.”

Legal Requirements:

Government agencies when required by law or regulation
Law enforcement in response to valid legal requests
Court orders, subpoenas, or other legal proceedings
Child protective services when mandatory reporting is required

We Do Not:

Sell personal information for money (see “Your Choices About Sale or Sharing”)
Share student information for marketing without explicit consent
Provide contact information to organizations other than the service providers and partners described in this policy
Use student data for non-educational commercial purposes

Data Security and Protection

Security Measures

Encryption of sensitive data both in transit and at rest
Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
Access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel only
Staff training on privacy and data protection best practices
Secure backup systems and disaster recovery procedures

Data Retention

Student academic records: Maintained permanently as required by law
Text message consent and records: Retained for 3 years after opt-out
Communication records: Retained for 3 years after graduation or departure
Financial records: Kept for 7 years per accounting standards
Employment records: Maintained per applicable labor laws

Your Rights and Choices

Access and Correction

Request copies of your personal information in our records
Update or correct inaccurate information
Request explanations of how your information is used
Access your child’s educational records (for parents/guardians)

Communication Preferences

Opt out of non-essential email communications
Update your contact information and preferred communication methods
Withdraw consent for photos and videos (future use only)
Modify text message and phone call preferences

Data Portability

Request electronic copies of your information for transfer to other schools
Obtain transcripts and academic records in standard formats
Receive communication history and consent records upon request

Hargrave does not sell personal information for money. However, some state privacy laws treat certain uses of cookies, pixels, and similar technologies for advertising, analytics, and visitor identification as a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information, even when no money is exchanged. Our use of the services described in “Advertising and Measurement Partners” and “Third-Party Services” may be considered a sale or sharing under those laws. You can limit it in these ways:

Email marketing@hargrave.edu to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information, including the use of your contact information for advertising
Use the opt-out pages of Customers.ai (customers.ai/opt-out), LiveIntent (privacy.liveintent.com) and The Trade Desk (adsrvr.org), or the industry opt-out pages at optout.aboutads.info and www.networkadvertising.org/choices
Turn on Global Privacy Control, a setting offered by some browsers and browser extensions; some of these services honor it
Block or delete cookies in your browser settings

Children’s Privacy Protection

FERPA Compliance

We comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Parents have the right to inspect and review their child’s educational records
Directory information may be disclosed unless parents opt out in writing
Educational records are not shared without consent except as permitted by law

Under Age 13 Protections

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent
Online services used by young students include appropriate privacy protections
Third-party educational tools are vetted for children’s privacy compliance

Cookies and Online Tracking

Website Cookies

Essential cookies for website functionality and security
Analytics cookies to understand website usage and improve user experience
Preference cookies to remember your settings and choices
You can disable cookies through your browser settings, though some website features may not function properly

Third-Party Services

Google Analytics, for website traffic analysis
Google Ads, Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Microsoft Advertising and The Trade Desk pixels and tags, for advertising measurement and to show relevant ads
Microsoft Clarity, which records how visitors use our pages (for example clicks and scrolling) to help us improve the site
Hargrave’s own analytics, operated by our marketing service provider, which connects website visits and ad clicks to admissions inquiries
Momencio, a marketing platform that records the pages you view, how far you scroll and the forms you submit, to help us understand and follow up on prospective families’ interest
Visitor identification services (Customers.ai and its identity partners, including LiveIntent), which may recognize your browser and match your visit to information they already hold (see “Advertising and Measurement Partners”)
CallRail call tracking, which shows a tracking phone number on our website so we can tell which page or ad led to a call; calls to these numbers may be recorded
PeerPal, a chat tool on some pages that connects prospective families with current students and parents; what you share in a chat goes to PeerPal and to Hargrave
Cloudflare Turnstile, a security check on some forms that helps block spam and automated abuse
Embedded content from other services, such as videos (Wistia, YouTube, Vimeo, Hudl and JW Player), calendars (Google Calendar), photo sharing (Waldo), donation buttons (PayPal), email sign-up forms (ActiveCampaign) and social media posts (X), which may set their own cookies and collect information about how you interact with that content
Educational platform integrations for online learning tools
Social media sharing plugins

Online gifts made through our giving page are processed by GiveCampus under its own privacy policy.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings; some site features may not work as a result.

International Data Transfers

If you are located outside the United States, please note that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers are located and our staff operates. By providing your information, you consent to this transfer.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will notify you of significant changes by:

Posting the updated policy on our website with a new effective date
Sending email notifications to current families and employees
Providing written notice for substantial changes affecting student records

Contact Information

Privacy Questions and Requests

Email: marketing@hargrave.edu
Phone: 4344322481

General School Contact

Main Office: 4344322481
Email: marketing@hargrave.edu
Website: www.hargrave.edu

Office Hours

Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
School Year: Extended hours during peak periods
Summer: Reduced hours (posted on website)

Definitions

Personal Information: Any information that identifies or can be used to identify an individual student, parent, or employee.

Educational Records: Records directly related to a student and maintained by the school, as defined by FERPA.

Directory Information: Basic information such as name, address, phone number, email, grade level, and enrollment status that may be disclosed without consent unless a parent opts out.

Consent: Clear, informed, and voluntary agreement to specific uses of personal information.

This Privacy Policy is designed to meet federal and state privacy requirements for educational institutions. For specific legal questions about your rights under FERPA or other applicable laws, please contact our Privacy Officer.

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with us.