Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Overview

Ellicott Elementary Parent Teacher Organization ("Ellicott PTO", "we", "us", or "our") is dedicated to supporting the students, teachers, and school community of Ellicott Elementary in Orchard Park, NY. We value the privacy of our parents, guardians, faculty, and students.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard personal information submitted through our website and Family Directory portal. We do not sell, rent, trade, or monetize personal information.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information provided directly by parents and guardians when registering or updating their family profiles:

• Parent/Guardian Information: Full names, primary and secondary email addresses, cell/home phone numbers, and physical home addresses.
• Student Information: Student names, grade levels, and assigned classroom teachers for class roster organization.
• Authentication Data: Login credentials and basic profile information provided via Google Single Sign-On (SSO) when authenticating.
• Donation & Transaction Records: Order records for PTO fundraisers, event tickets, or donations processed securely through third-party platforms (e.g., Zeffy, Givebutter).

3. How We Use Information

We use collected personal information solely for legitimate school-community purposes:

• Maintaining the password-protected Student & Family Directory to help parents connect for playdates, carpools, and class communications.
• Organizing PTO events, volunteer programs, Book Fairs, and Chiavetta's BBQ fundraisers.
• Sending official PTO news, meeting notices, and event alerts.
• Verifying authorized access for Ellicott Elementary families and faculty members.

4. Directory Sharing & Privacy Controls

Participation in the Student & Family Directory is voluntary. Parents have granular control over their family's visibility within their profile settings on the site:

• You can opt-in or opt-out of the directory at any time.
• You can individually toggle the visibility of phone numbers, email addresses, and street addresses.
• Directory information is strictly accessible to logged-in, verified Ellicott Elementary PTO members and is never indexed by public search engines.

5. Information Sharing & Third Parties

We never sell or share your personal data with third-party advertisers or commercial entities. Information is only shared with service providers necessary to operate our website (e.g., Google Cloud infrastructure for hosting, Zeffy/Givebutter for payment processing).

6. Data Security & Retention

We utilize industry-standard encryption (TLS/HTTPS), secure cloud databases, and restricted role-based access control to protect your data. Information is retained while your student is enrolled at Ellicott Elementary or until you request account deletion.

7. Contact Us

If you have any questions or requests regarding your family's data or this Privacy Policy, please contact our PTO Executive Board:

Ellicott Elementary PTO
5180 Ellicott Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127
Email: president@ellicottpto.org