Special Services

NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS UNDER FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) affords parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the student’s education records.  They are:

1.      The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the (school unit) receives a request for access.  Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal or Special Service Director a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect.  The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

2.      The rights to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading.

Parents or eligible students may ask the school to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading.  They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.

If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment.  Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3.      The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests.  A school official is a person employed by the school unit as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the school board; a person or company with whom the school unit has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Upon request, the school discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

The school may make public at its discretion personally identifiable information from the education records of a student without parental consent if that information has been designated as directory information by the school.  Directory information includes the student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of athletes, honors and awards received, and other information that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.

Such information will not be disclosed if the parent of the student informs the school unit in writing by July 1 for the upcoming school year or within 30 days after enrollment, whichever is later, that such information is not to be designated as directory information with respect to that student.

4.      Parents or eligible students have the right to file a complaint with U.S. Department of

Education concerning alleged failures by local school unit to comply with the requirements of FERPA.  The name and address of the office that administer FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC 20202-4605.