SALINE, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Saline Area Schools are following guidance by the National Education Association (NEA) to protect illegal immigrants by removing the “place of birth” from public records the district releases on its students.

Directory information.

At issue is a “directory information” that contains public information on students that schools can release without consent. Parents have to provide a written statement to opt out.

MORE NEWS: Anti-ICE Protesters Storm Michigan Lawmaker’s Lawn and Porch

Michigan State University described “directory information” as “information in a student’s education record that may be disclosed to outside organizations without a student’s prior written consent. Directory information includes student’s name, address, telephone number, email, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. It also includes a laundry list of other school related information.”

The statement continues with this caveat, “However, schools must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Students or parents must formally request that their directory information not be shared with outside sources.”

The NEA’s stance on “place of birth.”

In its 2025 guidance to schools titled “Immigration & Schools 101,” the NEA advised schools to remove “place of birth” from the directory information.

“Schools can disclose students’ ‘directory information’ without the family’s consent unless the school district is notified that the family has ‘opted out’ from such sharing,” the NEA stated. “Make sure that your school district does not include place of birth in directory information. If it does, advocate to end the practice of collecting place of birth information and decline to provide it for your children. Inform parents of their right to opt out of the directory information.”

Saline’s “partner in policymaking.”

Saline Superintendent Rachel Kowalski stated it removed “place of birth” based on a recommendation from a vendor, Neola, a private education consulting company.

“The policy committee meets regularly to review district policies and consider recommended updates from our partner in policymaking, Neola,” Kowalski stated in an email. “This particular policy was brought forward after the committee reviewed and discussed student privacy during an open policy committee meeting. It then followed the standard review process through subsequent board meetings and was approved unanimously.”