# JCPS guards student data across 663 approved ed-tech products **Published:** 2026-09-22T09:00:00.000Z **Source:** [KY Center for Investigative Reporting](https://www.lpm.org/investigate/2026-09-22/jcps-uses-hundreds-of-ed-tech-products-how-safe-is-student-data) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/jcps-guards-student-data-across-663-approved-ed-tech-products LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools allows more than 600 technology companies to collect deeply personal information about students, including their birthdates, disabilities, family economic status and academic performance, according to a Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting investigation published Monday at [LPM.org](https://www.lpm.org/investigate/2026-09-22/jcps-uses-hundreds-of-ed-tech-products-how-safe-is-student-data). The state's largest school district has approved 663 educational technology products for use in classrooms, ranging from household names like Google Classroom to niche applications that let students interact with 3D organ models or take virtual exercise classes. JCPS has spent more than $41 million on software alone since the 2022-2023 school year. The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting reviewed data sharing agreements with 49 companies signed last school year and found that few detail why they collect certain information or where they share it. The investigation revealed that tech companies can access students' answers to writing assignments, their attendance records, test scores, language spoken at home, disciplinary records and whether students are experiencing homelessness or foster care. "One of the risks is that you have, you know, a behavioral profile, a psychological profile, about a child that's being developed…essentially from five years old," said Andrew Liddle, an attorney who is suing several ed-tech giants over privacy concerns. "And that's not being used to benefit them, it's being used against them." JCPS officials did not respond to multiple requests to discuss the district's data privacy practices. In an emailed statement, JCPS spokesperson Barnard Baker said the district carefully controls vendor access to student data and aligns its practices with nationally recognized standards. Baker said the district is asking the Jefferson County Board of Education to adopt a version of the National Data Privacy Agreement as its new standard data privacy contract at its meeting on September 22. "This reflects JCPS's ongoing commitment to using established frameworks that are widely recognized for addressing student data privacy and security," Baker wrote. Kentucky State Auditor Allison Ball noted in her 2026 JCPS audit that the district lacks a comprehensive list of all active contracts — a problem the investigation highlighted as JCPS combed through 12 months of board meeting materials to find a sample of recently signed agreements. Digital privacy experts and activists worry that existing agreements may not prevent de-identified data from being re-identified to trace back to individual students. A 2024 study by Internet Safety Labs and Brigham Young University found that 52 percent of the top 100 education technologies used in Utah schools were collecting or sharing data beyond what was listed in their terms of service or data privacy agreements. "The schools are so outgunned because all they can do is take the manufacturer at their word," said Lisa LeVasseur, founder of Internet Safety Labs. The investigation noted inconsistencies in company reporting. In one Pearson contract for testing software, the company marked that it would not use any confidential data even though the same agreement listed it would collect standardized test scores, birthdates and disability information. A Pearson spokesperson said employees erred in that marking. Activist parents have filed similar lawsuits against several tech companies serving JCPS, including Curriculum Associates, Google, IXL Learning, PowerSchool and Renaissance Learning. All companies have filed motions to dismiss and deny wrongdoing. The investigation comes as [JCPS, which serves about 96,000 students](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_County_Public_Schools_(Kentucky)) across Jefferson County, faces budget constraints. Superintendent Brian Yearwood cut 19 positions from the district's IT department earlier this year and has been searching since July for an Executive Officer of Information Technology, the highest technology position in the district under a new organizational chart that eliminated a cabinet-level IT role. ## Sources - [KY Center for Investigative Reporting](https://www.lpm.org/investigate/2026-09-22/jcps-uses-hundreds-of-ed-tech-products-how-safe-is-student-data) - [Jefferson County Public Schools overview and district statistics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_County_Public_Schools_(Kentucky)) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from KY Center for Investigative Reporting, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://www.lpm.org/investigate/2026-09-22/jcps-uses-hundreds-of-ed-tech-products-how-safe-is-student-data.