AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) – Potter County officials are stressing back-to-school safety as schools across the Panhandle prepare to welcome children back.

Sharing photos can be a great way to connect with your family and friends, but it also carries potential risks.

“Any personal information you post there will always stay there. You don’t know if that information is being used or seen by any sex offenders or strangers, and it’s not easy to get rid of it. Once it’s there, it stays there forever, so be careful what you post,” said Deputy Tickner of the Potter County Sheriff’s Office.

Back-to-school photos can reveal personal details such as the child’s name, school, grade and teacher, leaving the child vulnerable to strangers with harmful intentions.

“Schools are very fond of handing out school merchandise and saying you get a sticker that you get as a reward at school. Parents are very fond of putting them on cars, but this is another way of showing that your child goes to this school and we really want to try to keep that information to a minimum,” said Mrs. Well, kindergarten teacher.

Publishing a teacher’s name could also pose a threat because a sex offender could use the teacher’s name to manipulate a child.

“It’s like a family in a school building, so we just keep the stuff in our school building. A lot of people go out and talk excitedly about teaching and working with kids, but if someone else takes that on, it’s a little bit of a breach of confidentiality,” said Mrs. Weaver, a school counselor.

Potter County officials say it would be safer to release a photo of the child with only his name.

All rights reserved.