FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2009
Press Contacts:  Ann Francis, 517 410 1243; Becky Payne, 517 862-5921

It is OptOut Time! The Peace Education Center Reminds High School Students To Hand In Opt Out Forms ASAP

Lansing, MI: Thursday evening, September 17, 2009 at the Lansing School District Board of Education Meeting, members of the Greater Lansing Peace Education Center will be reminding parents, students and teachers of the importance of handing in Opt Out Forms to avoid having student’s  personal information given to military recruiters.

Background:  In September of each year The Peace Education Center alerts high school students that their personal information will be given to military recruiters by their high school unless they hand in an Opt Out form to the records office early in the school year.  The Lansing School District deadline for handing in OptOut forms is October 6, 2009.

Section 9528 of the No Child Left Behind Act requires high schools to give the NAME, ADDRESS & PHONE NUMBER of students to military recruiters unless the student or their parent specifically “opt out” of their list.  If a student wishes to opt out of the list, he/she must tell the school each year to take their name off the list given to military recruiters.

Many schools in the greater Lansing area provide students and their parents with an OptOut form in their orientation packet.  If for some reason a student has misplaced or did not receive the form, he/she can obtain one from the school records office.  A generic form can also be downloaded at the Peace Education Center website:  //http: www.peaceedcenter.org.

The Peace Education Center Youth Outreach Program works with high school students and area schools to ensure that students are obtaining the facts about military service, military recruiting and critically evaluating what the military offers and delivers. We believe that students and parents have a right to choose when and where a student will be approached by military recruiters.  Handing in an Opt Out form is one way to limit student information given to recruiters, although there are many avenues other than school lists that the US Military uses to collect information for recruitment purposes.

This year the Lansing School District adopted a uniform Opt-Out policy.  Some other area districts also have clear opt-out policies.  The Peace Education Center commends these districts for their efforts and hopes other districts will take similar steps to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act and to inform students of their rights to Opt-Out.   The Peace Education Center will work with any school district wishing to better understand the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act and wanting to adopt a uniform policy which will allow all students to exercise their rights.

What:  High School Students Reminded to Hand In Opt Out Forms!
When: At Lansing School District Board of Education Meeting September 17 at 7:00pm.  Through out September at libraries, schools and festivals in the greater Lansing area.
Where:  Partington Administration Center, Room 106, 519 W. Kalamazoo, Lansing, MI 48933
Who: The Peace Education Center Youth Outreach Program:  http://www.PeaceEdCenter.org

Click here for the Opt Out Form

Lansing School District Opt Out Form