Back-to-school forms, sorted

Emergency contact and pickup forms

This form says who the school can call and who may pick up your child. Add at least two people besides the parents, check the numbers, and tell those people they're on the list. If someone must not collect your child, ask the school how to record that: it usually needs a conversation and a copy of any court order, not just a line on the form.

Health, allergy and medication forms

Tell the school about allergies, conditions and medicines, even ones your child only needs occasionally. If a medicine has to be given during the school day, the American Academy of Pediatrics' parent site explains that staff need written authorization from the prescriber plus your consent, with the medicine in its original labeled container and handed from adult to adult. Ask the school nurse which form they use; the doctor's part can take a week or two to come back.

The privacy notice and directory information

Somewhere in the packet, or on the school's website, is the annual notice of your rights under FERPA, the U.S. law on student records. Schools must send it every year. The same notice usually lists what the school treats as directory information, which can include your child's name, grade, and photograph, and it gives you a period of time to tell the school in writing that you don't want some or all of it shared.

If you'd like your child left out of the student directory or published honor rolls, return the opt-out before that period ends. Opting out of directory information is a broader choice than the photo release: it can also keep your child's name out of programs and yearbooks, so read what the school lists before deciding.

Survey notices

Some packets include a notice about student surveys. Under the federal Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, a survey in a program funded by the U.S. Department of Education can't require a student to reveal things like political beliefs, mental health problems, sexual behavior, religious practices or family income without a parent's prior written consent. If a consent or opt-out form for a survey comes home, it's worth reading rather than signing on autopilot.

Photo and media release

This lets the school use your child's photo or name in newsletters, on the website or on social media. You can usually agree to some uses and not others. Our media release guide goes through the options.

Technology and device agreements

If the school lends a laptop or tablet, you'll often sign an acceptable-use agreement and sometimes a damage policy. Check who pays for a cracked screen, whether there's an optional insurance fee, and whether the device may go home. These agreements tend to run several pages, sometimes with initials required on each.

Sports and activities

School sports need a participation form and a recent physical exam. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests booking the sports physical six to eight weeks before the season, ideally as part of the yearly checkup, and bringing the medical eligibility form from your child's sport to the appointment so the doctor can sign it there and then. Clubs and trips bring their own permission slips during the year, so keep this site bookmarked.

Sources

• 34 CFR § 99.7: annual notification of FERPA rights
• 34 CFR § 99.37: directory information notice and opt-out
• 34 CFR § 99.3: definition of directory information
• U.S. Department of Education: FERPA model notice for directory information
• 20 U.S.C. § 1232h: Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment
• HealthyChildren.org (AAP): When your child needs to take medication at school
• HealthyChildren.org (AAP): Sports physical, when, where and who should do it