About Us

The Hill School Privacy Policy

Effective Date: February 23, 2026

The Hill School (“The Hill,” “School,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) respects the privacy of students, parents, alumni, donors, employees, applicants, website visitors, and other members of our community. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect personal information.

This Policy applies to personal information collected:

  • Through The Hill School’s websites and online platforms
  • During the admissions, enrollment, employment, and alumni processes
  • In connection with events, fundraising, and School programs
  • Through communications and other interactions with the School

This Policy does not supersede specific confidentiality obligations governed by separate agreements, employment contracts, or student enrollment agreements.

1. Definitions

For purposes of this Policy:

  • “Personal Information” means information that identifies, relates to, describes, or could reasonably be linked to an individual.
  • “Sensitive Personal Information” includes information such as financial account numbers, government identifiers, health information, and student educational records.
  • “Processing” means collecting, using, storing, disclosing, or otherwise handling personal information.

2. Categories of Information Collected

The Hill School may collect the following categories of Personal Information:

A. Identifiers

  • Name
  • Postal address
  • Email address
  • Telephone number
  • Date of birth
  • Government-issued identification numbers (where required)

B. Educational Information

  • Academic records
  • Admissions materials
  • Transcripts and recommendations
  • Student disciplinary and attendance records

C. Financial Information

  • Payment information
  • Donation records
  • Tuition and billing records

Full credit card information is processed through secure third-party vendors and is not stored on School servers.

D. Technical and Usage Information

When users access our website, we may collect:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Device identifiers
  • Operating system
  • Pages visited and duration
  • Referral source

We may use cookies and similar technologies for functionality, analytics, and communication purposes.

E. Communications

  • Emails
  • Inquiries
  • Event registrations
  • Survey responses

3. Sources of Information

We collect Personal Information:

  • Directly from individuals
  • From parents or guardians
  • From educational institutions and references
  • From service providers acting on our behalf
  • Automatically through website technologies

4. Purposes of Processing

We process Personal Information for legitimate institutional purposes, including:

  • Admissions evaluation and enrollment
  • Providing educational services
  • Managing student life and campus safety
  • Alumni engagement and development activities
  • Processing donations and payments
  • Communicating with community members
  • Complying with legal obligations
  • Protecting the safety, rights, and property of the School and its community

We do not sell Personal Information to third parties.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing (Where Applicable)

For individuals located in jurisdictions requiring a lawful basis for processing (e.g., European Economic Area), The Hill School processes Personal Information on one or more of the following bases:

  • Performance of a contract
  • Compliance with legal obligations
  • Legitimate institutional interests
  • Consent, where required

Individuals may withdraw consent where processing is based solely on consent.

6. Information Sharing and Disclosure

The Hill School may disclose Personal Information:

A. Service Providers

To vendors providing services such as:

  • Payment processing
  • Data hosting
  • IT support
  • Admissions software
  • Fundraising and alumni platforms

Such providers are contractually obligated to maintain confidentiality and use information only for authorized purposes.

B. Legal Requirements

When required by:

  • Law, regulation, subpoena, or court order
  • Government or regulatory authority

C. Protection of Rights

To protect:

  • The safety of students and staff
  • The integrity of School operations
  • Legal rights and compliance obligations

7. Children’s Privacy (COPPA)

Our website is not directed toward children under 13 without parental involvement. Information from children under 13 is collected only in connection with admissions or educational services and in compliance with applicable law, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

8. Data Retention

The Hill School retains Personal Information for as long as necessary to:

  • Fulfill educational and administrative purposes
  • Satisfy legal, accounting, and regulatory requirements
  • Resolve disputes and enforce agreements

Retention periods vary based on record type and legal obligations.

9. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect Personal Information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include:

  • Encryption
  • Access controls
  • Network monitoring
  • Secure payment processing

However, no transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

10. International Data Transfers

Personal Information may be stored and processed in the United States. Where required, appropriate safeguards will be implemented for cross-border data transfers.

11. Individual Rights

Subject to applicable law, individuals may have rights to:

  • Access Personal Information
  • Request correction
  • Request deletion
  • Restrict or object to processing
  • Request data portability

Requests may be submitted to the contact information below. We may require identity verification prior to fulfilling requests.

For California residents, rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), if applicable, will be honored as required by law.

12. Third-Party Links

The School’s website may contain links to third-party sites. The Hill School is not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites.

13. Policy Updates

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. Updates will be posted with a revised “Last Updated” date.

14. Contact Information

Privacy inquiries or rights requests may be directed to: The Hill School, dataprivacy@thehill.org