Student Privacy 101: FERPA (video)

Notification of Rights under FERPA for Elementary and Secondary Schools:

In accordance with federal regulations and for the benefit of parents and students in the school district, this notice serves to notify parents of students currently in attendance and students of legal age (18 or older) of their rights regarding educational records and confidentiality.

Parent Rights

You have the right to the following:

1. Inspect and review your child’s educational record within 45 days after the day the school receives a request for access.
2. If you feel the educational record is misleading or inaccurate, you can request an amendment to the part of record that is inaccurate.
3. Give written consent before any personally identifiable information is released about your child, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
4. File a complaint with the United States Department of Education, which enforces regulations pertaining to educational records if alleged violations are being made by the school district and you have been unable to resolve those differences at the school district level.

Procedures to Obtain Educational Records

1. Contact the school principal in writing to request a copy of your child’s educational record, and identify any specific records you want to inspect.
2. Review the records in person during school hours or request copies. Allow the school five days to copy and provide the requested information. There may be a small fee to cover the copying.

Procedures for Requesting a Change in Your Child’s Education Record

1. Inform the school principal that you have discovered inaccurate or misleading information and would like it amended or removed.
2. Identify the part of the record that should be corrected and explain how the information is inaccurate.
3. Allow the school district five to 10 working days to decide whether your request is valid.
4. If the school district disagrees with the request, you can file for a hearing with the school district to voice your concerns.
5. If, as a result of the hearing, the school district decides that the information is inaccurate or misleading, the school will amend the record and inform you of the amendment in writing.
6. If, as a result of the hearing, the school district decides the information is accurate and not misleading, they will notify you of the right to place a statement in the record explaining why you feel the information is misleading or incorrect.
7. The school district is obligated to place a copy of your statement in the educational record.

Additional Resources

U.S. Department of Education – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

File a Complaint, U.S. Department of Education