Education Records
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), parents, legal guardians, or adult students have a right to review their child’s or their own records. These rights include:
- The right to inspect and review the student’s educational records. Requests for access should be directed to the principal and must be granted within 5 days from the date of the request. Student records are available for review during regular school hours. In the case of separated or divorced parents, both parents have equal access to school records, unless there is a current restraining order specifically preventing records access. A restraining order preventing access to the student does not prevent access to records.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent, guardian, or adult student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. Requests for amendments to the education record should be made in writing to the principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the school does not amend the record as requested, the school will notify the parent, guardian, or adult student of the decision and their right to a hearing regarding the request for an amendment. Information about the hearing procedures will be provided when the parent, guardian, or adult student is notified of their right to a hearing.
- The right to provide written consent to before the school discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by a school to comply with the requirements of FERPA. Complaints are received by: Student Privacy Policy Office, US Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202.
FERPA permits the disclosure of personally identifiable information from a student’s education records without the consent of the parent, guardian, or eligible student, if the disclosure meets certain conditions found in 99.31 of the FERPA regulations. Parents/guardians will receive written notice at the beginning of each school year to inform of their options regarding the release of their child’s information in the directory (see Board Policy 5125.1 and Administrative Regulation 5125.1 - Release Of Directory Information). For more information on FERPA, the disclosure of directory information, and conditions information may be disclosed without parent, guardian, or adult student consent, please see A Parent’s Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.