Terms and Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account or using the Core platform ("Core," "we," "us," or "our"), you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. If you do not agree, do not use Core. These terms apply to all users including parents, guardians, teachers, school administrators, and any other account holders. During account creation—and again when a material new version requires acceptance—you must affirmatively check the acceptance box before continuing. Core may retain the accepted version and timestamp with your account records as evidence of your agreement.

2. Platform Description

Core is a school registration and community management platform that allows families to discover school communities, submit enrollment applications, manage student profiles, and access role-based tools. Core connects parents, teachers, and administrators but does not itself operate or govern any school or educational program. Core is an early-release service and features may change, be added, or be removed at any time without notice.

3. Eligibility and Account Registration

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account on Core. By registering, you confirm that all information you provide is accurate and complete. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your username and password and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately at coreschoolportal@gmail.com if you suspect unauthorized access. Core does not knowingly collect information directly from children under 13; student profiles are created and managed by a parent or guardian account holder, or by a school administrator acting on the family's behalf.

4. Privacy

Our collection, use, and sharing of your information — including student and family information, payment metadata, FERPA and COPPA practices, your state-law privacy rights, and how to contact us about your data — is described in full in our Privacy Policy. We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Student Data and FERPA

Core may handle student education records as a service provider acting on behalf of schools. Core does not use student data for advertising or any purpose beyond operating the platform. Parent and guardian account holders are responsible for the accuracy of student information they enter. Schools using Core are responsible for ensuring their use of the platform complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and any other applicable state or local laws governing student records.

6. Electronic Communications and Signatures

Core lets you sign and receive certain documents (such as registration forms and school-required acknowledgments) electronically. By using Core, you consent to receive communications from us electronically and agree that your electronic signature, and any record we keep of it, has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature and physical delivery, to the extent permitted by the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN Act) and applicable state UETA law. You may withdraw this consent at any time by contacting coreschoolportal@gmail.com, though doing so may limit your ability to use certain features, such as digital enrollment forms. This consent applies to records and notices provided through Core during your relationship with us and the communities you join. You are responsible for maintaining a device and software (a current web browser and a PDF reader) capable of accessing, saving, and printing these electronic records, and you may request a paper copy of any electronically signed document by contacting us; we do not currently charge a fee for paper copies.

7. Text Messages and Calls

By providing a phone number to Core or to a community administrator through the platform, you consent to receive text messages — including transactional notices and, where a community administrator enables it, emergency or safety broadcast alerts — as described in our Privacy Policy. Message and data rates may apply. Where supported by the carrier or messaging provider, replying STOP will block further texts from that sending number; you may also contact us or your community administrator to update text preferences.

8. Payments, Fees, and Payment Plans

Some school communities on Core may charge enrollment or membership fees as part of their registration process. These fees are set and collected by the individual school community, not by Core directly. Payment processing is handled through Stripe, a third-party payment processor, and is subject to Stripe's terms of service. Core does not store payment card information. All fees are non-refundable unless the school community explicitly states otherwise, and nothing in this section limits any refund right you may have under applicable law. Core is not responsible for disputes between users and school communities regarding fees.

Payment plans and automatic charges. Where a community offers an installment (e.g., semester) payment plan, you authorize Core and its payment processor, Stripe, to securely retain your payment method and to automatically charge the remaining installment(s) on the schedule disclosed to you at checkout, without further action on your part, unless you pay that installment manually beforehand. If an automatic charge fails, we will email you so you can complete payment manually; a failed automatic charge does not, by itself, remove your class enrollment. To cancel a scheduled automatic charge before it occurs, contact your community administrator or coreschoolportal@gmail.com in advance of the scheduled date.

9. Community Access and Approval

Access to school communities on Core is granted at the sole discretion of each community's administrators. Submitting an enrollment application does not guarantee approval. Administrators may deny or revoke access at any time. Core is not responsible for any school community's decision to approve, deny, or remove a user. Users who are removed from a community forfeit any community-specific privileges and access immediately.

10. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use Core to: (a) submit false or misleading information; (b) harass, threaten, exploit, or harm another person; (c) attempt to access accounts or data that are not yours; (d) upload malicious code or interfere with or circumvent platform security or rate-limiting controls; (e) upload unlawful, infringing, sexually exploitative, abusive, or privacy-invasive material; (f) use the platform for any unlawful purpose; or (g) impersonate any person or entity. Violation of these rules may result in content removal, immediate suspension, or termination without notice or refund, subject to applicable law.

11. User Content and Copyright

“User Content” means information and material users or school communities submit to Core, including profile information, messages, documents, homework, assignments, photos, images, and recommendations. As between you and Core, you retain your ownership rights. You grant Core a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, copy, process, transmit, and display User Content only as reasonably necessary to operate, secure, support, and provide the platform to you and the intended school community or users.

You are responsible for User Content you submit. You represent that you have the rights and permissions needed to upload and share it, including copyright, privacy, publicity, and—when the content identifies or depicts a minor—appropriate parent, guardian, or school authorization. Do not upload content that violates another person's rights or the Acceptable Use rules. User Content is supplied by users and school communities, not endorsed by Core. Core may restrict access to or remove content reasonably believed to violate these Terms, law, or another person's rights, but does not undertake a general obligation to monitor all content.

Copyright notices may be sent to coreschoolportal@gmail.com. A notice should identify the copyrighted work and the allegedly infringing material and its location; provide the complaining party's name, address, phone number, and email; state a good-faith belief that the use is unauthorized; state under penalty of perjury that the notice is accurate and the sender is authorized to act; and include a physical or electronic signature. Core may remove or disable access to material and notify the affected user. A user may submit a counter-notice containing the information required by 17 U.S.C. § 512(g). Core maintains a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances, users who repeatedly infringe copyright.

12. Disclaimer of Warranties

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Core is provided “as is,” “as available,” and “with all faults,” without warranties of any kind. Core and its operator expressly disclaim all express, implied, and statutory warranties, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, quiet enjoyment, and warranties arising from course of dealing or usage of trade. We do not warrant that Core will be uninterrupted, secure, accurate, complete, error-free, or free of harmful components; that defects will be corrected; or that User Content, school records, or information supplied by users or communities is accurate or reliable. Core is an early-release service and may experience downtime, data loss, or feature instability. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain warranty disclaimers, so portions of this section may not apply to you.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Core, its operator, affiliates, licensors, service providers, and their respective owners, officers, employees, and agents (collectively, the “Core Parties”) will not be liable under any legal theory for any indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, loss or corruption of data, loss of enrollment opportunity, business interruption, substitute services, or unauthorized account access, arising out of or related to Core or these Terms, even if advised that such damages were possible. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Core Parties' total aggregate liability for all claims arising out of or related to Core or these Terms will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid directly to Core during the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim or (b) $100. These exclusions and limitations apply regardless of the form of action and even if a remedy fails of its essential purpose. They do not limit liability that cannot lawfully be limited, including liability for willful misconduct, gross negligence, or other liability that applicable law prohibits limiting. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so those limitations may not apply to you.

14. Indemnification

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Core Parties from and against third-party claims, demands, proceedings, liabilities, damages, judgments, settlements, penalties, losses, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees and court or arbitration costs, arising out of or related to: (a) your User Content; (b) your violation of these Terms or applicable law; (c) your violation of another person's intellectual-property, privacy, publicity, or other rights; (d) your misuse of Core; or (e) false, unauthorized, or harmful information you submit. Core may assume control of the defense with counsel of its choosing, and you agree to cooperate. You may not settle a covered claim in a way that admits fault by, imposes obligations on, or fails to fully release a Core Party without Core's written consent. This section does not require indemnification where prohibited by law or to the extent a claim results from a Core Party's own willful misconduct or gross negligence.

15. Account Termination

Core may suspend, restrict, or terminate access to some or all of the platform; remove User Content; or close an account if we reasonably believe there has been a violation of these Terms or law, fraud, nonpayment, a security or safety risk, infringement, abuse, a valid government or legal request, or conduct that could expose Core or another person to harm or liability. Core may also discontinue the platform or a feature. We may act without advance notice when reasonably necessary, but will provide notice when practicable and legally permitted. You may stop using Core and request account deletion through More → Your Privacy & Data or by contacting coreschoolportal@gmail.com. Termination does not create a refund right for fees paid to a school community. Sections that by their nature should survive—including ownership, licenses needed for retained backups or legal records, warranty disclaimers, liability limitations, indemnification, dispute resolution, and general provisions—survive termination.

16. Dispute Resolution; Binding Arbitration; Class Action Waiver

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. EXCEPT WHERE LAW PROVIDES OTHERWISE OR YOU TIMELY OPT OUT, IT REQUIRES INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION, WAIVES A JURY TRIAL, AND WAIVES PARTICIPATION IN CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTIONS.

• Informal resolution first. Before filing arbitration or a lawsuit, the complaining party must send the other a written notice describing the account, facts, requested relief, and contact information. Notice to Core must be emailed to coreschoolportal@gmail.com with the subject “Notice of Dispute.” The parties will attempt in good faith to resolve the Dispute for 30 days after receipt. A limitations period is tolled during that 30-day period to the extent permitted by law.
• Agreement to individual arbitration. Except for the exceptions below, you and Core agree that every dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to Core, these Terms, their formation or enforceability, or the relationship between you and Core (a “Dispute”) will be resolved through final and binding arbitration on an individual basis, not in court. The Federal Arbitration Act governs this arbitration agreement.
• Procedure and remedies. Arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under the then-current Consumer Arbitration Rules and Consumer Due Process Protocol, as modified by these Terms. One neutral arbitrator will decide the Dispute and may award the same individual remedies a court could award, subject to the liability limits in these Terms where lawful. The award will be written and may be entered in a court of competent jurisdiction. Hearings may occur remotely, by written submission, in the county where you live, or at another reasonably accessible location required by the AAA rules or applicable law. Fees will be allocated under the AAA Consumer Rules and applicable law. If AAA refuses or is unable to administer a case despite the parties' compliance, the parties will select another recognized arbitration provider or ask a court to appoint one under 9 U.S.C. § 5.
• Jury-trial and class-action waiver. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU AND CORE WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY MAY SEEK RELIEF ONLY FOR ITSELF AND ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. NEITHER PARTY MAY BRING OR PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED, COORDINATED, MASS, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION OR ARBITRATION. THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT COMBINE DIFFERENT PEOPLE' CLAIMS OR AWARD RELIEF FOR ANYONE OTHER THAN THE INDIVIDUAL PARTY SEEKING RELIEF.
• Right to opt out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement without affecting the rest of these Terms by emailing coreschoolportal@gmail.com within 30 days after you first affirmatively accept this version of the Terms. Use the subject “Arbitration Opt Out” and include your full name, Core username, account email, and an unequivocal statement that you opt out. Core will retain the request with your account records. If you timely opt out, Disputes will be resolved under the Governing Law and Venue section.
• Exceptions and non-waivable rights. Either party may bring an individual claim in a court of competent jurisdiction that qualifies for small claims court. Either party may seek temporary or preliminary court relief to protect accounts, confidential information, security, or intellectual-property rights while arbitration is pending. Nothing prevents reporting to or seeking relief from a government agency. Claims or remedies that applicable law does not permit to be arbitrated or waived are excluded to that extent. At the election of the person alleging sexual assault or sexual harassment, the arbitration requirement and joint-action waiver do not apply to a case covered by 9 U.S.C. § 402.
• Who decides. A court—not the arbitrator—will decide whether the arbitration agreement or class-action waiver is valid or enforceable and whether 9 U.S.C. § 402 applies. The arbitrator will decide other issues concerning the scope or application of this arbitration agreement to a Dispute.
• Severability. If a final decision finds the class, collective, mass, or representative-action waiver unenforceable as to a particular claim or requested remedy, that claim or remedy will proceed in court after all arbitrable matters are completed. Otherwise, an unenforceable portion will be severed and the remainder enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law.

17. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict of law principles, except that this choice of law does not deprive you of mandatory consumer protections of the state where you live when those protections cannot be waived. For any Dispute that is not subject to arbitration under Section 16 (for example, because you opted out, or because it qualifies for small claims court or non-waivable court relief), you and Core consent to the exclusive personal jurisdiction and venue of the state or federal courts with jurisdiction in the Texas county where Core's operator maintains its principal place of business, unless applicable law allows or requires another venue.

18. Changes to These Terms

Core may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the "Last updated" date above and, where required by law, we will provide additional notice or request renewed affirmative acceptance. Changes apply prospectively from their stated effective date. Continued use after legally sufficient notice constitutes acceptance to the extent permitted by law, but a material change to the arbitration agreement will not eliminate an existing opt-out or retroactively alter a Dispute of which Core had actual notice before the change. We encourage you to review these Terms periodically.

19. Accessibility

Core is committed to providing a platform accessible to users of all abilities and is working toward WCAG 2.2, Level AA. Core has not yet received an independent accessibility certification. If you have difficulty accessing any feature or need assistance in an alternative format, contact coreschoolportal@gmail.com.

20. General Provisions

These Terms and our Privacy Policy make up the entire agreement between you and Core about your use of the platform. If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect. Our failure to enforce any right or provision is not a waiver of that right or provision. You may not assign these Terms without our prior written consent; we may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. Neither party is liable for a delay or failure to perform caused by events beyond its reasonable control.

21. Contact

Questions about these terms may be directed to coreschoolportal@gmail.com.