Privacy Policy text
Agoura Hills Academy (“AHA,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we handle personal information when you visit agourahillsacademy.org and related pages (the “Site”), submit forms, or otherwise communicate with us online.
AHA is an independent college-preparatory online high school based in Agoura Hills, California, serving international and U.S. students. This Policy applies to information collected through the Site. Separate notices and agreements may apply once a student is enrolled (including records protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA).
1. Information we collect
Depending on how you use the Site, we may collect:
- Contact information — such as your name, email address, phone number, and the content of messages you send through contact forms.
- Admissions inquiry information — such as a prospective student’s name, email, phone, birthdate, gender (if provided), current school, grade level, city, state or region, country, subject areas of interest, course notes, and optional messages (from the short multi-step inquiry on our Admissions page).
- Full registration application information — such as student and parent/guardian names, contact details, mailing address, enrollment and birth dates, gender and ethnicity (if provided), grade level, prior school and academic notes, emergency contacts, up to ten requested courses (with request type and notes), typed electronic signatures, certification acknowledgements, and related fields submitted through our full online application or a completed PDF application you email to us.
- Technical information — such as browser type, device type, general location derived from IP address, pages viewed, and the date and time of visits, as recorded in standard server logs maintained by our hosting provider.
- Communications — records of correspondence if you email us at zhu@agourahillsacademy.org or respond to our messages.
We do not intentionally collect payment card numbers or Social Security numbers through the public Site. If you apply for enrollment, additional information may be requested through separate, secure processes.
2. How we collect information
- When you voluntarily submit a contact form, admissions inquiry form, or full online registration application on the Site.
- When you email us a completed PDF application, other enrollment materials, or communicate with an AHA advisor.
- Automatically through our web server and hosting infrastructure when you browse the Site.
- When you download materials (such as our printable PDF application) or click links on the Site.
3. How we use information
We use personal information to:
- Respond to inquiries about admissions, academics, and programs;
- Schedule follow-up conversations with families and prospective students;
- Evaluate interest in courses, review course requests, and provide relevant information about AHA;
- Process registration applications and coordinate enrollment steps;
- Operate, maintain, and improve the Site;
- Protect the security and integrity of the Site and our systems;
- Comply with applicable law and enforce our Terms of Use.
We do not sell your personal information. We do not use your information for third-party advertising on the Site.
4. Legal bases (where applicable)
If you are located outside the United States, we process personal information based on your consent when you submit forms, our legitimate interests in operating an educational institution and communicating with prospective families, and compliance with legal obligations.
5. How we share information
We may share personal information with:
- Service providers that help us operate the Site and process form submissions, including our form delivery provider (Web3Forms) and website hosting provider. These providers are authorized to use information only as needed to perform services for us.
- School personnel and advisors who need the information to respond to your inquiry or support admissions.
- Professional advisors (such as legal or accounting consultants) under confidentiality obligations, when necessary.
- Authorities when required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of AHA, our community, or others.
We may share information in connection with a merger, reorganization, or transfer of school operations, subject to appropriate notice where required by law.
6. International users
AHA serves families worldwide. If you access the Site from outside the United States, you understand that information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your country. By using the Site and submitting information, you consent to such transfer where permitted by law.
7. Children’s privacy
The Site is intended for prospective students, parents, and guardians. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 without appropriate parental involvement. If a parent or guardian submits information about a minor student as part of an admissions inquiry or full registration application, we treat that information as provided with parental authority for educational purposes.
If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13 in violation of this Policy, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
8. Student education records (FERPA)
Information submitted through general website forms is not the same as an enrolled student’s official education record. Once a student is enrolled, AHA maintains education records in accordance with FERPA and applicable California law. Enrolled families receive separate notices regarding access to and privacy of those records.
9. California privacy rights (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of certain personal information we hold about you, and to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (we do not sell personal information). You may also have the right not to receive discriminatory treatment for exercising these rights.
To submit a request, email zhu@agourahillsacademy.org with the subject line “California Privacy Request.” We will verify your request as required by law.
10. Cookies and similar technologies
The Site is designed to minimize tracking. We do not currently use advertising cookies or third-party analytics platforms on the Site. Our hosting provider may place essential technical cookies or collect log data necessary to deliver the Site securely. Your browser may store standard session information when you use forms.
If we introduce analytics or additional cookies in the future, we will update this Policy.
11. Data retention
We retain inquiry, registration application, and contact information for as long as needed to respond to you, evaluate admissions interest, process enrollment, maintain business records, and comply with legal obligations. When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymize it in accordance with our retention practices.
12. Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect personal information. No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure. Please do not send sensitive documents through unsecured web forms; we will direct you to appropriate secure channels when needed.
13. Third-party links
The Site may link to third-party websites (for example, university partners or external resources). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.
14. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will reflect changes. Material changes may also be noted on the Site. Continued use of the Site after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.
15. Contact us
For questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, contact:
Agoura Hills Academy
Agoura Hills, California
Email: zhu@agourahillsacademy.org
See also our Terms of Use.