So your kid's school is locked down, but they won't tell you?

That is basically how the Springfield School District in Missouri is interpreting new FERPA regulations. The district will report there is an emergency or lock down at an elementary or high school but will not identify which one, the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader reported. School resource officers have also been redacting not only student's personal information but also the date of the incident from their reports.

This week, the Springfield school district is expected to unveil new guidelines for how to release emergency information to the public.

The district changes are triggered by the U.S. Department of Education enactment of new regulations to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act .

Springfield school officials say the changes likely will mean less disclosure of incident or emergency information.

More here.

Kentucky Law OKs E-Mail Notice

Local governments in Kentucky will now be able to notify news organizations about their special meetings by e-mail.

The new provision in Kentucky's open-meetings law took effect in July. Touted as a money- and time-saver, it allows local governments to send meeting notices electronically to any agency member or news organization that asks in writing for e-mail communications.

"It gives the media and the public more timely notification of the special meetings, as well," said Allison Martin, a spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office. "Because you never can ensure when a mailed letter is going to arrive by the postal service."

More here.