Cedarburg - The next time a student threatens to sue a public school district, taxpayers probably won't know anything about it.

That's because the entire process can be kept secret unless the dispute enters a courtroom, after the U.S. Department of Education found that releasing notices of claim filed by two students in the Cedarburg School District violated federal student privacy rights. The finding directly conflicts with the state's long-standing practice that such notices - which serve as precursors to lawsuits - are considered public documents.