Santa Rita Union School District Families,

We are aware of rumors circulating on social media regarding Lifetouch, the photography company that partners with many school districts, including Santa Rita Union School District.

We want to address these concerns directly.

The safety, privacy, and well-being of our students is always our highest priority. SRUSD carefully reviews any contracts with third-party vendors to ensure they meet required safety, privacy, and data protection standards.

Santa Rita Union School District has partnered with Lifetouch for many years to provide school photography services for yearbooks, student identification, and official school records. Student photos are maintained for school-related purposes and, in some cases, assist with identification in emergency situations.

Recent online rumors have alleged that Lifetouch shared student photos with unauthorized parties for improper purposes. In response to these claims, Lifetouch has publicly stated that:

• Images are used solely for school record purposes and to provide families the option to purchase photos.

• Lifetouch maintains a longstanding partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, providing SmileSafe ID cards at no cost to families for use in the event a child goes missing.

• Lifetouch is not named in the Epstein files, and there are no allegations that Lifetouch or student photographs were involved in any illicit activity.

At this time, there is no verified information supporting the circulating claims.

Our vendor contracts, including photography services, are reviewed annually. We will continue to closely monitor this situation and evaluate all available information as part of our standard contract renewal process to ensure that any partner we work with aligns with our district’s expectations for student safety, privacy, and ethical practice.

We understand how concerning online rumors can be, particularly when they involve children. We encourage families to reach out directly with any questions or concerns. Open communication is essential, and we remain committed to transparency and student safety.

With respect,

Dr. Melissa Alderman

Superintendent
Santa Rita Union School District