In a win for families concerned about government overreach, Nevada lawmakers are considering a bill that would force the state to delete student data after a certain time period. Senate Bill 445, which recently passed the Senate and now sits before the Assembly Education Committee, would require the Department of Education to destroy student records ten years after a student turns 22.
Why This Matters to You
Think about all the information schools collect about your kids. Test scores, attendance, behavior notes, health information, and more. Right now, the government keeps this data forever. Forever is a mighty long time when it comes to your child’s personal information.
John Eppolito, a parent advocate who has been fighting for student privacy, has raised concerns about how long the government keeps student data. From the provided information about SB445, Eppolito notes that the bill “does nothing to delete any of the data Infinite Campus (a paid third-party vendor) stores on our children.”
Just like you wouldn’t want the IRS keeping your tax returns for fifty years, many parents don’t want their children’s school records sitting in a government database for decades.
What The Bill Would Do
The bill is pretty straightforward. Here’s how it would work:
When a student graduates or leaves public school, the Department of Education would have one year to transfer their data to an archive. Before doing this, they would remove personally identifiable information (except birthdate). Then, ten years after the student turns 22, the department must destroy the data completely.
This means by the time your child is 32, their school records would be gone from state databases. Not stored forever. Not available for future government programs or initiatives. Gone.
The Conservative Case for Data Deletion
For conservatives who believe in limited government, this bill represents a small but important step. Government agencies tend to collect more and more information over time, rarely giving any of it up.
Many parents who support the bill believe that government shouldn’t keep personal information unless absolutely necessary. The question many ask is simple: Why should the state have records on adults from when they were in elementary school?
The principle at stake is simple: The government works for us, not the other way around. Our children’s information belongs to families, not to state agencies.
What Critics Say
Not everyone supports the bill. Some education administrators argue that long-term data helps them track educational outcomes and improve schools over time.
Some education administrators argue that long-term data helps them track educational outcomes and improve schools over time. They question how they can evaluate if education investments are working without maintaining historical student information.
Others worry about implementation costs. The fiscal note attached to the bill indicates there may be expenses for local governments and the state to set up new data systems that can automatically delete records.
What Happens Next
The Assembly Education Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, May 6 at 1:30 pm. Citizens can attend in person in Carson City or Las Vegas, or provide comments by phone.
If you believe in limiting government’s reach and protecting privacy, this bill deserves your support. You can submit written testimony or share your opinion through the Nevada Legislature’s website.
For conservatives, this represents a rare opportunity to actually reduce government data collection instead of expanding it. While the bill doesn’t address all privacy concerns (it doesn’t touch data held by private vendors like Infinite Campus), it’s a meaningful step toward respecting family privacy and limiting state power.
How You Can Help
If you want to support this bill:
- Contact members of the Assembly Education Committee right away
- Attend the hearing in person or by phone on May 6
- Submit written testimony explaining why student privacy matters to you
- Tell friends and family about this bill
Each step toward limiting government overreach and protecting privacy starts with citizens speaking up. This bill may seem small, but it represents an important principle: The government shouldn’t keep our personal information forever.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
