As an IT director or school administrator, you’re entrusted with safeguarding one of the most sensitive assets in education: student data. In today’s fast-paced edtech world, it’s easy to assume that new safety features, like GPS or geofencing, are automatically compliant and student-friendly. But here’s the reality: 79% of school apps have access to student location data, often operating in the background and well beyond school grounds [source].
While these tools are often marketed as ways to streamline attendance or improve safety, they can quietly collect more information than intended. That includes detailed movement history, patterns of behavior, and personal routines—data that’s considered personally identifiable information (PII) under laws like FERPA and COPPA. Mismanaging it not only poses legal risks but can also erode the trust that families place in your leadership.
Let’s take a closer look at how location data can impact your district and how to ensure your edtech choices remain both compliant and student-centered.
The Cost of Location Tracking: Student Data Privacy & Legal Risk
Significant Privacy Concerns
It’s tempting to think of location tracking as “just” a way to confirm who’s in the building. In reality, it can build a detailed map of a student’s daily routines—where they live, hang out after school, and even who they spend time with. For minors, this level of detail is especially sensitive. Collecting it without a crystal-clear, narrowly defined educational or safety purpose can open the door to serious privacy violations.
Passive GPS Tracking: A Hidden Privacy Concern
Even when location tracking is labeled as “passive” or “geofenced,” that doesn’t mean it stops at the edge of your campus or an event. In many cases, once GPS permissions are enabled—often through a one-time “Allow Location Access” prompt—the app can continue logging student location data outside school hours and off school property. That means students might still be tracked on weekends, at home, or in places entirely unrelated to school functions.
This kind of passive surveillance is often invisible to families and staff, but it’s a major privacy red flag. Without strict controls and full transparency, passive GPS tracking can easily overstep legal and ethical boundaries, especially when dealing with minors.
High Stakes in Case of a Data Breach
Imagine an app vendor’s database—or your own school’s system—being compromised. If location history falls into the wrong hands, it’s more than just embarrassing: it’s dangerous. Stalking, harassment, or targeted exploitation become real threats. Anyone with access to real-time or historical tracking data holds information that can quickly be weaponized.
Potential for Misuse or Overreach
Even without an external breach, it only takes one bad actor inside the system to misuse location data. If unauthorized staff or vendors correlate location with behavioral or academic records, you could unintentionally enable biased or unfair disciplinary measures. We’ve all seen how data points can be twisted—keeping that from happening starts with limiting who sees location details.
Tracking Outside School Hours or Property
The biggest red flag? When an app keeps tabs on students beyond campus or after the final bell rings. With cell phone bans becoming more common during the school day, many students regain access to their devices only once they’ve left school grounds—exactly when some apps quietly resume location tracking. Unless you have explicit, ongoing, and properly documented consent from both parents and students—something especially complex when minors are involved—this kind of off-campus monitoring can be a serious ethical and legal overstep. It risks eroding trust and may create unintended consequences far beyond your intended scope.
Legal and Compliance Risks
Under U.S. laws like FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act), location data counts as personally identifiable information (PII). Without airtight safeguards, you risk falling out of compliance. Bottom line: if your tools aren’t built with student privacy in mind, you could be facing significant legal headaches.
Student & Parent Perceptions: Trust Is on the Line
A Surveillance Culture Undermines Autonomy
When students feel they’re being watched 24/7, it reduces their sense of independence. They need room to grow, learn, and explore—something that’s tough to do under constant monitoring. Parents notice this too. If they feel their child’s every move is being tracked, they might wonder if the school is overstepping its bounds.
Lack of Transparency Breeds Distrust
Transparency isn’t optional—it’s essential. If families aren’t 100% clear on what data is collected, why it’s collected, and who has access, real consent can’t happen. When parents or students don’t fully grasp a tool’s inner workings, they’re less likely to trust it. And once trust erodes, it’s hard to get back.
What Can You Do? A Quick Checklist for IT Leaders
If you’re wondering whether your edtech stack is leaning too heavily on location tracking, start here:
- Audit Your Apps
- Review privacy policies and feature lists for every student-facing app.
- Highlight any mention of GPS, geofencing, or background location services.
- Ask Vendors Directly
- Don’t assume. Ask: “Does your app collect location data? If so, under what conditions?”
- Dig into how long that data is stored, who can access it, and how it’s protected.
- Review Consent Mechanisms
- Watch for apps that prompt users to enable location services—this is often the first sign that GPS or geofencing is being used.
- Confirm that parents and students are providing informed, time-bound, and revocable consent.
- Ensure consent forms disclose any use of location tracking—no vague language or buried details.
- Align with Privacy Laws
- Double-check that location practices comply with FERPA, COPPA, and any relevant state regulations.
- Establish Internal Controls
- Limit who can access location data. Create audit logs to monitor usage.
- Train staff on why location data is different from other PII, like names or student IDs, and how misuse can directly impact student safety and trust.
Final Thought on Student Data Privacy
GPS and geofencing can seem like quick fixes for event attendance or safety, but they often introduce risks that extend far beyond the classroom walls. Student data privacy isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a trust you carry on behalf of families. By taking a few proactive steps now to evaluate location tracking features in your edtech tools, you’ll help build a safer, more respectful digital environment for everyone in your school community.
Where Minga Stands on Student Data Privacy
At Minga, we believe schools deserve a robust campus management platform without having to trade student privacy. We’ve seen more districts walk away from edtech providers—not just because of what’s being tracked, but because of what wasn’t fully disclosed. Unlike many platforms that rely on GPS or geofencing to “track” students, Minga is built to respect boundaries and minimize data collection. Here’s how we keep it simple and safe:
Digital IDs and Event Check Ins
Minga delivers a straightforward record of student check-ins and check-outs—no GPS required. It’s all powered by a robust, digital student ID card. You’ll always know who’s on campus and when, without needing to track their daily movements.
Digital Hall Passes
We leverage bell schedules and period data to support hall pass management, eliminating the need for live location monitoring. That means no hallway surveillance or ongoing background tracking, just a clear understanding of where a student is expected to be.
Tardy Management
Students can quickly check in as tardy, creating a simple, reliable record. Minga can automatically trigger your school’s tardy policy, including progressive consequences, without needing to track student movement using location services.
Privacy by Design
From day one, our platform aligns with FERPA, COPPA, and other relevant regulations. We gather only the data necessary for school operations, so you never have to wonder if you’re collecting too much.
In an era when technology can overwhelm a district’s privacy policies, Minga offers a clear alternative. By choosing a platform that respects student autonomy, you’re not just reducing legal risk—you’re fostering trust and empowering everyone in your community. If you’re looking for a partner that puts student well-being first, let’s talk about how Minga can help you keep data safe without sacrificing functionality.
