“We accept (the forms) all year long, but for this one mailing, we wanted to get them input,” said Searle, adding that some parents were confused by the form which was recently revised to give parents two choices. Parents now can request student directory information be withheld from representatives of the military and/or from all other representatives, including the media, prospective employers, colleges and nonprofit organizations.

“I called (the parents) because they had checked both boxes,” Searle said, wanting to be sure parents understood the form. After Searle explained the form, parents made it clear they intended to withhold information from military recruiters only

On Nov. 17, a group of Homer residents distributed pamphlets to high school students at the end of the school day. Included was information on military recruitment, a copy of the district’s opt-out form and a form requesting that already-submitted information that has been added to a Department of Defense database be moved to a suppression file, where it is kept but not released.

Debbie Poore was among the group distributing the pamphlets and telling students they had an option. She said her 17-year-old son has received mailings from several branches of the armed forces over the past two years.

“I’m a peace activist at heart and for most of my life have felt that there are better ways to solve things than going to war,” Poore said. “One of my biggest motivations in getting this information out to kids is that I feel that 15-, 16-, 17-, 18-year-olds are really impressionable and that a certain amount of information that recruiters are telling them is what I consider propaganda. ... So, it seems to me that students need additional information.

“By law, the high school is required to send information to recruiters. By law, students and family can opt out of that,” Poore said. “I was there to get that information out, to make the opt-out form accessible to students.”

According to information provided by the national PTA there are two laws that allow military recruiters to receive names, addresses and telephone numbers of all high school juniors and seniors. However, school districts must notify parents of the type of student information it releases, explain parents’ right to request that information not be disclosed, provide information on how parents can opt out and disclose applicable deadlines. Over the past three years the Department of Defense has created a database containing information on more than 25 million children. PTA reports that the database is updated daily and distributed monthly for armed services recruitment purposes.

Poore said the response she received from students was positive.

“Some kids said no thanks, some said they didn’t have to worry because they had health concerns and (recruiters) wouldn’t take them, but quite a few said, ‘hey, thanks for doing this,’ and were really interested,” Poore said.

Vietnam veteran Mike LeMay also helped distribute the information at the high school.

“The thing that surprised me was that most students were unaware of the issue,” LeMay said. “For me, the issue was that there was such a thing as an opt-out form. And the greater, larger issue is that the Pentagon has a database and subsequently recruiters will get personal information and probably be in contact with (the students).

“My pitch was that they need this (form) if they don’t want military recruiters bugging them at home, and I just got these blank faces,” LeMay said. “So, it was an education for me that still, after it being in the high school newsletter and after students discussed it amongst themselves and in school, still a lot of children were unaware of the issues.”

Individuals distributing the forms comprise an informal, grassroots group that has been meeting for the past year, according to Poore.

“Last year we concentrated on informational flyers around town, specifically about the Iraq war,” she said. “We meet every week in private homes for two hours and try to figure out what our next work is.”

For more information on the privacy of student records, visit the PTA Web site at www.pta.org. Copies of the opt-out form are available at the Homer High School office.