The apology is part of a series of steps being taken after a community member complained to the district, the Utah State Office of Education and the federal Office for Civil Rights.

According to the district, some student data did not transfer correctly when it changed a computer program a few months ago. Counseling center staff at Hillside Middle School consequently asked students to confirm when they arrived in the United States.

"I'm gratified that all acknowledged it was a problem and took affirmative steps to correct it," said Michael Clara, a Latino activist who complained to the district after parents of the affected students approached him.

When the district provides services for non-English speakers, it needs to know how many years the student has been in the country for testing purposes.

"The parents should have been called to clarify this information and we apologize for any discomfort or embarrassment that this situation may have caused," the school's letter to parents states.

The letter also was translated into Spanish.

Kathleen Christy, Salt Lake's assistant to the superintendent for equity and advocacy, said the district is happy it came to this resolution. As a result of the incident, the district also will train staff on students' civil rights.

"We'll make sure we clarify proper procedures with all of our staff so we're not asking inappropriate questions," she said.

jlyon@sltrib.com