Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act & Notification of Parents Rights to Student Records
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
FERPA affords parents/guardians and students over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) certain rights with respects to the student’s education records. Such rights are:
1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the school district receives a request for access. Parents/guardians or eligible students should submit to the school principal (or appropriate school official) 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 right to request the amendment of student’s education records that the parent of eligible student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask the Oakville School to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school principal, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
If the District decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent of eligible student, the District 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 when 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 district as a administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement personnel); a person serving the School Board; a person or company with whom the District 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/her tasks. A school official has a legitimate education interest and the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his/her professional responsibility. Upon request, the District discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
4. The right to file a complaint with the US Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, US Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue SE, Washington DC 20202-4605
Notification Regarding Parents Rights to Access to Student Records
In order to protect the privacy of parent/guardians and students, and to comply with the requirements of Section 438 of the General Privacy Act, as amended, The Oakville School District No. 400 designates the following categories of personally identifiable information from student records directory information: name, address, phone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized school activities and sports, weight/height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.