JRB: Release of Student Records

The general public shall not be allowed to inspect a student's personal record files. Except as provided in IDAE with regard to student records which are student data submitted to or maintained in a statewide longitudinal data system, the custodian of student records shall disclose the student's educational records only as provided for in this policy.

Directory Information

Annual notice shall be given to parents and eligible students concerning their rights with regard to student records. In addition, the custodian of the educational records shall give annual public notice of the class of records the institution has designated as directory information, and of the right of the parent or eligible student to opt-out of the release of directory information without prior written consent.

After giving notice and allowing a reasonable period of time for parents or eligible students to inform the district that any or all of the directory information should not be released without prior written consent, the custodian of records may make directory information available without parental or eligible student's consent. The custodian of records shall make student recruiting information (including student name, address, and telephone listing) available to military recruiters and postsecondary institutions unless parents or eligible students provide a written request to the district providing that the specified information not be released without prior written consent. Notice of the option to opt-out of the release of recruitment information shall be provided to parents and eligible students in the district's annual notice of rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

For the purposes of this policy, school official means teacher, administrator, other certified employee or board of education. The district may disclose, without the parents or eligible students' consent, personally identifiable information to school officials with a legitimate educational interest. A school official is a person employed by the school as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support-staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); the school board (in executive session); a person or company with whom the school 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.

The custodian may disclose students' education records to the following persons without the prior consent of the parents:

• Other school officials, including teachers within the district who have legitimate educational interests;
• Officials of other schools or school systems in which the student intends to enroll. The school district will forward student records to such institutions without further notice to the parents or eligible student;
• Authorized persons to whom a student has applied for or from whom a student has received financial aid;
• State and local officials or authorities to whom such information is specifically required to be reported or disclosed pursuant to state statutes;
• Organizations conducting studies for educational agencies for the purpose of developing, validating or administering student tests or programs;
• Accrediting organizations;
• Parents of a student 18 years of age if parents claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes; and
• Appropriate persons if knowledge of any information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons in an emergency.
• In compliance with a lawfully issued subpoena or judicial order. Access will be granted to any third party upon written authorization of the eligible student, parent or guardian.

No personally identifiable information contained in personal school records shall be furnished to any person other than those, herein. When there is written instruction from the student's parents, guardian or the eligible student specifying the records, the reasons and the person(s) to whom the release is to be made, a copy of the records to be released shall be made available to the student, parents or guardian upon request. When information is requested in compliance with a judicial order, or pursuant to any lawfully issued subpoena, parents, guardian and the student shall be notified of the orders or subpoenas in advance of the compliance with the order or subpoena unless the order or subpoena specifically forbids such disclosure.

Nothing contained in this policy shall preclude authorized representatives of the Comptroller General of the United States, the Secretary and an administrative head of an educational agency or state authorities from having access to student or other records which may be necessary in connection with the audit and evaluation of federally supported education programs or the enforcement of the federal legal requirements which relate to these programs, provided that, except as the collection of personally

identifiable data is specifically authorized by federal law, the data collection by such official with respect to individual students shall not include information (including social security numbers) which would permit the personal identification of students or their parents or guardian on the data collected and provided.

With respect to the above, all persons, agencies or organizations desiring access to the records of a student shall be required to sign a form which shall be kept permanently with the student's file, but only for inspection by the parents/guardian, student or a school official responsible for record maintenance, indicating specifically the legitimate educational or other interest of each person, agency or organization has in seeking this information. Such forms shall be available to parents and to the school official responsible for record maintenance as a means of auditing the system's operation.

Personal information shall be transferred to a third party only on the condition that such party shall not permit any other party to have access to such information without the written consent of the student's parents or the student if age 18 or older. The board and staff shall protect the rights of privacy of students and their families in connection with any surveys or data-gathering activities conducted, assisted or authorized by the board or administration. Regulations established under this policy shall include provisions controlling the use, dissemination and protection of such data.

Forwarding Pupil Records

Administrators shall forward student's school records upon request and may not withhold them for any reason.