Privacy policy

OpenSeat Schools (“OpenSeat”, “we”, “us”) is an independent online directory of Texas private schools, starting with the schools that take part in Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA). This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it and the choices you have.

The short version

• We collect only what you type into our forms or send us by email.
• We use it to send the alerts you ask for and to pass your question to the school you choose.
• We don't sell your information or use it for advertising.
• You can unsubscribe, or ask to see, correct or delete your information, at any time.

1. Information we collect

• Seat alerts: your first name and email address, the grade and school year you're looking for, the schools you want us to watch, your ZIP code, how far you'd drive and whether you're using TEFA. Two questions are optional: whether your child has an IEP (it can raise the TEFA amount) and the most you could pay after TEFA.
• TEFA updates: if you tick the box asking for them when you sign up for a seat alert, we use the same email address to send them. We don't collect anything extra.
• Questions to a school: your name, email address, phone number if you give it, the grade and start year, whether you're using TEFA, what you'd like from the school (a tour, a call or application details) and anything you write in the note.
• Schools: the name, role, work email and work phone of staff who update a listing or ask about founding partner spots, and the seat, tuition and other details the school reports to us.
• Founding partners: billing contact details and payment records. Card payments are handled by Stripe; we never see or store full card numbers.
• Emails and mail you send us.
• Site visits: Cloudflare Web Analytics counts page views without cookies and without identifying you. Cloudflare also processes your IP address to deliver the site and protect it from attacks. We don't use advertising cookies or tracking pixels.
• Maps: a school page's map loads only if you press Show map. Your browser then gets the map from OpenStreetMap, which receives your IP address under its own privacy policy.

We don't ask for, and please don't send us, your child's name, medical or diagnosis details, Social Security numbers or financial account information.

2. How we use it

• To send the seat alerts and reminders you signed up for. Your optional answers help us show the right cost in your alerts. We never send your seat-alert answers to a school.
• To send TEFA 2027–28 updates (the funding decision and application dates), only if you ticked the box asking for them. These emails carry no other marketing.
• To pass your question and contact details to the school you chose so it can reply to you, and to check in once afterward about whether it did.
• To keep school listings accurate, and to contact schools about their listings and about founding partner spots.
• To bill founding partners and keep the records tax law requires.
• To answer your messages, keep the site secure and fix problems.

The monthly reports we send to schools contain counts only (for example, “12 seat-alert sign-ups for 3rd grade”), never names or email addresses.

3. Who we share it with

• The school you ask. When you send a question, we pass your question and contact details to that school. From then on, the school's own privacy practices also apply.
• Service providers that run OpenSeat for us: Tally (forms), Google (Google Workspace: our email and the spreadsheet that holds our records), Brevo (reminder and update emails), Cloudflare (hosting, security and page-view counts), Stripe (payments from schools) and iPostal1 (our mailing address, which receives and scans mail sent to us). They may use your information only to provide their service to us.
• Authorities, when the law requires it, or when needed to protect someone's safety or our legal rights.
• A new owner, if OpenSeat is sold or transferred. This policy would continue to apply to information you gave us.

We don't sell personal information or share it for targeted advertising. Schools can pay for listings labeled “Sponsored”, but paying never gives a school your information. A school gets your details only when you send it a question.

4. Where your information is stored

Our service providers may store and process your information in Canada, the United States and the European Union. While it is there, courts and government authorities in those countries may be able to access it under their laws.

5. How long we keep it

• Seat alerts: until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete them.
• TEFA updates: until you unsubscribe from them or ask us to delete your details. Unsubscribing from TEFA updates doesn't stop your seat alerts, and the reverse.
• Questions to schools: 24 months after you send them, then deleted.
• Unsubscribe list: we keep your email address on it so we don't email you again.
• School listing details: while the school is listed.
• Billing records: six years, as Canadian tax law requires.

6. Your choices and rights

• Unsubscribe: use the link in any OpenSeat email or reply STOP. We act on it within 10 business days, usually sooner.
• See, correct, delete or get a copy: email [email protected] or write to us at the address below. We'll reply within 30 days at no charge. We may ask you to reply from the email address we have on file so we know the request is yours.
• Ask for a review: if we can't do what you asked, we'll explain why. You can ask us to review that decision, and we'll answer within 60 days.
• Complaints: you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca. Texas residents can also contact the Texas Attorney General at texasattorneygeneral.gov.

7. Children

OpenSeat is for parents and guardians. It isn't directed to children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from children. The only details about your child we ask for are the grade and school year you're looking for and, if you choose to answer, whether they have an IEP. If you think a child has sent us information, email us and we'll delete it.

8. Security

We use two-step login on every account that holds your information, limit access to OpenSeat, and use encrypted connections (HTTPS). No system is perfectly secure. If a breach creates a real risk of significant harm to you, we'll tell you and the regulators the law requires.

9. Changes to this policy

We'll post any update here with a new effective date. If a change affects how we use information you've already given us, we'll email you before it takes effect, and we won't apply it to that information without your consent.

10. Contact

OpenSeat Schools
2807 Allen St #2124, Dallas, TX 75204, USA
[email protected]

Our privacy officer oversees how OpenSeat handles personal information and can be reached at the email or address above. See also our terms of use.