Privacy Policy

PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: July 30, 2026

1. Who We Are

This Privacy Policy describes how Saint Jerome Institute, Inc., a Maryland nonstock corporation (“SJI”), and Saint Jerome Institute of Northern Virginia, Inc., a Virginia nonstock corporation (“SJI NoVA”), collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information through the St. Jerome Institute website and related forms and services.

SJI and SJI NoVA are separate legal entities. SJI is the sole member of SJI NoVA. This Policy refers to them collectively as the “SJI Entities” and individually as an “SJI Entity.”

Except for employment postings and application processes, the applicable page, form, giving opportunity, admissions or enrollment process, or other transaction identifies the SJI Entity responsible for the relevant activity. Employment postings and application processes identify the school and location associated with the position; the employing corporation is identified in the applicable offer and employment documents. Where the responsible SJI Entity is not otherwise identified, it is ordinarily the entity operating the campus, program, or activity to which the information principally relates. This fallback does not identify the employing corporation for an employment opportunity.

Some administrative functions, personnel, systems, and service providers support both SJI Entities. In this Policy, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to the responsible SJI Entity and, where a function is shared, to both SJI Entities as applicable.

Questions about which SJI Entity is responsible for a particular interaction may be directed to the contact information in Section 17.

2. Scope of This Policy

This Policy applies to personal information:

collected through the St. Jerome Institute website and online forms that link to this Policy;
submitted through third-party platforms used for admissions, enrollment, donations, employment, newsletters, events, registrations, and similar activities; and
received or maintained by an SJI Entity through those platforms.

Separate application materials, enrollment agreements, handbooks, employment documents, donor communications, media permissions, releases, or opt-outs, event notices, or other agreements may provide additional or more specific information. A more specific notice or agreement controls for the particular information or activity it addresses.

Third-party platforms may collect and process information for their own purposes under their own privacy policies. This Policy describes how the SJI Entities handle information they receive; it does not control a third party’s independent practices.

3. Personal Information We Collect

The information collected depends on how a person interacts with us.

A. Contact, inquiry, and communication information

We may collect:

name;
email address;
telephone number;
mailing address;
campus or program of interest;
communication preferences; and
questions, comments, and other information submitted in a message or form.

This includes information submitted through contact forms, admissions-inquiry forms, newsletter signups, event or volunteer registrations, Google Forms, SignUpGenius, and similar tools.

B. Admissions and enrollment information

Initial admissions inquiries may include a prospective student’s or family’s name, contact information, campus preference, and message.

Formal application and enrollment information may include:

information and documents submitted through the applicable application or enrollment process;
prior educational and application information;
parent, guardian, and emergency-contact information;
annual health certificates and oral-health assessment forms required for the Washington, D.C. school;
immunization certifications and related exemption or compliance information required by applicable law;
emergency medical-care permissions required for Northern Virginia operations at St. Philip;

information needed to administer enrollment, tuition, or financial assistance, if applicable;
student-media permissions or opt-outs; and
other information specifically requested through the applicable process.

Formal applications and enrollment records may be submitted or maintained through FACTS or another designated school-administration platform.

C. Donation and advancement information

When a person makes, proposes, or discusses a gift, we may collect:

donor name and contact information;
gift amount, date, and method;
intended campus, program, or purpose;
acknowledgment and receipt information;
donor communications and stewardship history; and
information needed to administer a pledge, stock gift, wire transfer, planned gift, or other contribution.

Payment-card, bank-account, or similar payment information submitted online is processed through the donation platform and its payment processors. We receive the donor and transaction information needed to record, administer, and acknowledge the gift.

D. Employment-application information

When a person applies for employment, we may receive information submitted through the recruiting or applicant-tracking platform identified in the applicable posting, including:

name and contact information;
résumé or curriculum vitae;
education and employment history;
references;
qualifications, credentials, and certifications;
application responses; and
other materials the applicant chooses or is asked to provide.

Current recruiting and applicant-tracking platforms include Gusto. Other employment-related forms may use Google Forms or similar tools.

The posting and, where applicable, the application process identify the school and location associated with the position. The employing corporation will be identified in the applicable offer and employment documents.

E. Prayer requests and other free-text submissions

A prayer request may include the requester’s name, email address, and the request itself.

Because the requester determines what to write, a prayer request or other free-text submission may reveal health, religious, family, financial, or other sensitive personal circumstances.

Please do not submit Social Security numbers, passwords, full payment-card or financial-account information, medical records, or other highly sensitive records through a general contact, email, or prayer-request form. Information specifically requested for admissions, enrollment, employment, or another institutional purpose should be submitted through the designated process.

Please also avoid including unnecessary sensitive information about another person.

F. Photographs, recordings, quotations, and testimonials

We may collect or use:

photographs, video, and audio recordings;
names and class years;
quotations, interviews, and testimonials;
information about participation, accomplishments, or school activities; and
related permission or preference records.

Public use of identifiable student material is governed by the applicable media permission, release, or opt-out and related school procedures. This Privacy Policy does not itself constitute consent to use a person’s name, image, voice, quotation, or likeness.

G. Information collected automatically

When a person visits the website, the website and its hosting, security, analytics, and embedded-content providers may automatically receive information such as:

Internet Protocol address;
browser and device type;
operating system;
referring page;
pages viewed;
date and time of access;
interactions with forms or embedded content; and
cookies or similar technical identifiers.

We may use this information to operate and secure the website, diagnose technical problems, understand general website use, and improve website content and functionality.

4. How We Use Personal Information

We may use personal information to:

respond to questions and requests;
provide information about the SJI Entities, their schools, programs, admissions, events, and activities;
administer applications, admissions, enrollment, and student-related processes;
maintain required health, oral-health, immunization, emergency-contact, and emergency-medical-care records;
evaluate employment applications and administer recruiting;
process, record, acknowledge, and steward donations;
administer a donor’s communicated restriction, designation, or intended purpose;
send newsletters, school communications, event information, donor updates, and fundraising communications;
administer registrations, events, volunteer activities, and other forms;
receive and administer prayer requests;
use authorized photographs, recordings, quotations, and testimonials;
operate, maintain, secure, and improve the website and related systems;
maintain appropriate institutional, student, donor, applicant, employment, accounting, tax, and compliance records;
prevent fraud, misuse, security incidents, and unlawful activity;
protect the rights, safety, and property of students, families, personnel, visitors, the SJI Entities, and others;
comply with legal, regulatory, contractual, diocesan, parish, insurance, and institutional obligations; and
establish, exercise, or defend legal rights and claims.

We may also use information for another purpose reasonably related to the purpose for which it was submitted or disclosed at the time of collection.

5. How We Disclose Personal Information

We do not sell or rent personal information.

We disclose personal information as described below or as otherwise explained at the time of collection.

A. Between the SJI Entities and authorized personnel

Information is made available to authorized personnel supporting the SJI Entity to which it was submitted.

Where an administrative or school function is shared, information may be made available to authorized personnel supporting both SJI Entities for the purpose for which it was submitted and for related administrative purposes.

Access is limited to personnel who reasonably need the information for the relevant purpose. Each SJI Entity remains responsible for its own legal obligations, institutional records, applications, employment relationships, donations, enrollments, contracts, and transactions.

Submitting information through the shared website does not by itself make both SJI Entities parties to every resulting application, donation, employment relationship, enrollment relationship, contract, or transaction.

B. Service providers and contractors

We may disclose information to service providers that perform services for us, including:

website hosting, form, security, information-technology, and technical-support providers;
admissions, enrollment, school-administration, and family-communication platforms;
donation, payment-processing, donor-database, and fundraising providers;
recruiting and applicant-tracking providers;
payroll and human-resources providers;
email, newsletter, event-registration, survey, and signup providers;
cloud-storage, collaboration, and communications providers;
insurers, insurance brokers, and risk-management providers;
legal counsel, accountants, auditors, and other professional advisers; and
consultants and contractors supporting school and administrative functions.

Examples of platforms used for these purposes include FACTS; DonorDock and its payment processors; Gusto for recruiting and applicant tracking; Mailchimp; Google Forms and other Google services; SignUpGenius; and YouTube.

The information disclosed depends on the service being performed and may include contact and form information, application and enrollment information, donor and transaction information, employment-application information, media and communications materials, or technical and website-use information.

C. St. Philip and diocesan child-protection compliance

For Northern Virginia operations at facilities of St. Philip Catholic Church, Inc. (“St. Philip”), the applicable facility-use agreement requires the SJI Entity responsible under that agreement for the Northern Virginia school to maintain and provide St. Philip copies of:

emergency-contact forms for teachers and volunteers; and
emergency-contact forms and permissions for emergency medical care for students.

Under that agreement, St. Philip is required to maintain the confidentiality of those records in accordance with state and federal law.

For Northern Virginia personnel, contractors, and volunteers who are subject to diocesan child-protection and safe-environment requirements, the responsible SJI Entity coordinates required screening and training compliance with St. Philip’s child-protection liaison and the Diocese of Arlington’s Office of Child Protection.

The responsible SJI Entity may provide or receive information reasonably necessary to administer and document that compliance, such as application, clearance, and training-completion status. The applicable diocesan or screening process may collect information directly under its own notices and procedures.

Other personal information is not disclosed to St. Philip or the Diocese of Arlington merely because school activities occur at St. Philip’s facilities, except where disclosure is required or permitted by law, the facility-use agreement, another applicable agreement, an emergency, or the individual’s authorization.

D. Health and government authorities

At the Washington, D.C. school, we collect annual health certificates, oral-health assessment forms, and immunization certifications required by District law, subject to applicable exemptions. Healthcare professionals also submit immunization certifications directly to the District’s public health authorities as required by law.

The District’s standardized health-certificate form includes an authorization permitting the signing health examiner or facility to share the information on the form with the student’s school and appropriate District government agencies.

At the Northern Virginia school, the standardized school immunization record is part of the student’s mandatory permanent record and is open to inspection by authorized officials of the Virginia Department of Health and local health departments as provided by law.

We may also provide required reports or information to health, education, licensing, law-enforcement, child-protection, emergency, or other governmental authorities where legally required or permitted.

E. Prayer and Mass intentions

Information submitted through the prayer-request form is used for SJI’s prayer-related purposes, including inclusion in the school’s book of intentions and in intentions at Mass offered on Wednesdays.

Faculty, students, and staff pray for those intentions.

The form does not provide confidential pastoral counseling, does not guarantee anonymity, and is not monitored continuously for emergencies.

F. Public communications

With applicable permission or as otherwise permitted, names, photographs, recordings, quotations, testimonials, class years, and similar information may be displayed publicly through websites, newsletters, social media, publications, event materials, admissions materials, or fundraising communications.

G. Legal, compliance, and safety purposes

We may disclose information where reasonably necessary to:

comply with law, legal process, regulatory requirements, or contractual obligations;
make or support a legally required report;
respond to an emergency or reasonably perceived risk of harm;
prevent, investigate, or respond to abuse, neglect, threats, fraud, harassment, security incidents, or unlawful activity;
protect the rights, safety, and property of individuals or either SJI Entity;
cooperate with law enforcement, emergency personnel, insurers, or other appropriate authorities; or
establish, exercise, or defend legal rights or claims.

H. At a person’s direction or with permission

We may disclose information when a person directs or authorizes us to do so or when the disclosure is otherwise explained at the time of collection.

6. Donations

The applicable giving page or donor communication identifies the entity receiving a gift.

Unless the giving page or gift documentation expressly identifies another recipient, gifts made through the shared online giving process are received by Saint Jerome Institute, Inc.

A donor may indicate that a gift is intended to support the Northern Virginia school, another campus, a particular program, or another purpose. We record and administer such communications in accordance with the terms of the gift, applicable law, and the charitable purposes of the receiving entity.

Authorized advancement personnel may use donor and gift information to:

record and administer the gift;
issue receipts and acknowledgments;
communicate with the donor;
provide updates about SJI’s work;
conduct donor stewardship; and
contact the donor about future fundraising opportunities.

A donor may ask not to receive future fundraising communications by using an unsubscribe method included in the communication or by contacting us.

7. Prayer Requests

The prayer-request form is not monitored continuously and must not be used to seek urgent medical, safety, mental-health, or crisis assistance. In an emergency, contact 911 or another appropriate emergency or crisis service.

Please include only information you wish SJI to use for prayer-related purposes and avoid unnecessary sensitive information about another person.

Prayer requests are received by designated SJI personnel and used to include the requester’s needs in the school’s book of intentions and in intentions at Mass offered on Wednesdays. Faculty, students, and staff pray for those intentions.

The form does not guarantee anonymity and is not a confidential pastoral-counseling channel.

Where a submission reasonably indicates abuse, neglect, a threat, risk of self-harm or harm to another person, or another safety or legal concern, relevant information may be disclosed to appropriate school personnel, parents or guardians, emergency services, law enforcement, child-protection authorities, or others as reasonably necessary or legally required.

8. Photographs, Video, Audio, and Testimonials

For enrolled students, public use of names, photographs, recordings, quotations, and testimonials is governed by the applicable media permission, release, or opt-out and related institutional procedures.

Authorized personnel review the recorded permission or opt-out status before using identifiable student material publicly.

Separate permissions or notices may apply to employees, speakers, volunteers, visitors, and persons attending public events.

This Policy does not replace a media release, enrollment election, employment provision, interview authorization, or event notice. A person does not consent to promotional use of an identifiable image merely by visiting an SJI facility or attending an SJI event.

A parent, guardian, student, employee, or other person may contact us with a question concerning media preferences or a particular public use. Removal from future use may not remove material already printed, distributed, archived, or republished by others.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

The website and its service providers may use cookies and similar technologies to:

provide and maintain website functionality;
remember settings or preferences;
protect forms and systems from misuse;
understand general website traffic and use;
diagnose technical problems; and
support embedded content.

A browser may permit a visitor to block or delete cookies. Doing so may affect the operation of some features.

Embedded content or links supplied by services such as YouTube, Google, DonorDock, FACTS, Gusto, Mailchimp, or SignUpGenius may permit those providers to collect information under their own privacy policies.

10. Retention

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, including:

responding to and documenting inquiries;
administering admissions, enrollment, employment, donations, communications, and school activities;
maintaining student, health, oral-health, immunization, emergency, donor, applicant, financial, tax, corporate, and institutional records;
honoring communication and media preferences;
complying with legal, contractual, insurance, diocesan, parish, and regulatory requirements;
protecting safety and security; and
resolving disputes and preserving legal rights.

Retention periods vary by the type of information and the context in which it was collected.

We may retain a limited record of an unsubscribe, opt-out, correction, deletion request, or similar preference so that the request can continue to be honored.

When information is no longer reasonably needed, we may delete, anonymize, or securely dispose of it, subject to applicable record-retention obligations.

11. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information and the size and activities of the SJI Entities.

Access to information of a more sensitive nature is limited to authorized personnel who need it for the relevant institutional purpose.

Safeguards may include:

access and account controls;
need-based permissions;
service-provider protections;
record-management practices;
appropriate physical protections; and
measures intended to prevent unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure.

No website, transmission method, storage system, or security measure can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Please do not send highly sensitive information through ordinary email or a general website form.

12. Communications Choices

A person may:

unsubscribe from marketing or newsletter emails by using the unsubscribe link in the message;
opt out of text messages by replying STOP, where that method is offered;
ask not to receive future fundraising outreach; and
update relevant communication preferences by contacting us.

An opt-out from promotional communications does not prevent non-promotional communications reasonably necessary for an application, enrollment relationship, donation, employment matter, event registration, legal obligation, safety matter, or other existing relationship.

13. Privacy Requests

A person may contact us to:

ask what personal information we maintain about the person;
request correction of inaccurate information;
request deletion of information we are not required or permitted to retain; or
update communication or other relevant preferences.

A parent or legal guardian may make an appropriate request concerning a minor child.

Email info@stjeromeinstitute.org with “Privacy Request” in the subject line and identify:

the relevant person;
the campus, form, program, or activity involved; and
the request being made.

We may request information reasonably necessary to verify the requester’s identity, authority, or relationship to the records.

We will review requests in good faith and respond within a reasonable time.

Some information must or may be retained for enrollment, employment, donation, tax, accounting, institutional-record, legal, safety, security, or claims-related purposes and therefore may not be corrected or deleted in full.

To the extent applicable law provides a person with additional privacy rights, we will honor those rights, including any required response period or appeal procedure, through the same contact process.

14. Children’s Privacy

The website is intended principally for prospective and current high-school students, parents and guardians, alumni, donors, employment applicants, and other members of the SJI community. It is not directed to children under thirteen.

A child under thirteen should submit personal information online only with the involvement and permission of a parent or legal guardian.

If we learn that personal information has been collected online from a child under thirteen without appropriate parental involvement or consent, we will take reasonable steps consistent with applicable law.

A parent or guardian who believes that a child under thirteen submitted personal information may contact us using the information below.

15. Third-Party Websites and Services

The website contains links to, or may display content from, third-party websites and services.

Their collection and use of information are governed by their own privacy policies and terms. Users should review those materials before submitting sensitive information.

This Policy governs an SJI Entity’s use of information that it receives from a third-party service; it does not control that third party’s independent practices.

16. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy to reflect changes in practices, services, legal obligations, vendors, or organizational structure.

The revised Policy will state its effective date.

Where reasonably appropriate or legally required, we may provide additional notice of a material change through the website, email, or another suitable communication.

17. Contact Us

Questions, requests, or concerns relating to either SJI Entity may be directed to:

Email: info@stjeromeinstitute.org

Please include “Privacy Request” in the subject line and identify the relevant campus, form, program, or interaction where possible.

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You may unsubscribed from our emails through the unsubscribe link and opt out of text messages by replying STOP or by emailing info@stjeromeinstitute.org.