Notification of Rights of Parents and Students

The rules and regulations administering the Illinois School Student Records Act establish guidelines for the release and placement of information into a student’s record. Listed below are key provisions of the Act and an indication of the rights granted to parents and students. Please feel free to contact the principal of your local school, should you have any questions regarding student records. The principal is the official records custodian of each school.

The District will maintain two sets of school records for each student: a permanent record and a temporary record. The permanent record shall include:

• basic identifying information
• unique student identifier assigned by the Student Information System
• academic transcripts and grades
• grade level achieved
• attendance record
• class rank
• graduation date
• accident and health reports
• information pertaining to release of this record

No other information shall be placed in the permanent record. The permanent record shall be maintained for at least 60 years after the student has graduated, withdrawn, or transferred from the District.  When a student transfers in or out of the district, both Permanent and Temporary Records should be requested or sent to a new school.

The temporary record shall include:

• family background
• intelligence and aptitude scores
• psychological reports
• achievement test results
• state assessment tests
• participation in extracurricular activities
• honors and awards
• disciplinary information
• special education files
• biometric information
• verified reports or information from non-educational persons
• verified information of clear relevance to the student’s education
• information provided under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act (325 ILCS 5/8.6) including any final reporting received from a Child Protective Service Unit.
• information pertaining to release of this record
• completed home language survey
• information regarding serious infractions (that is, those involving drugs, weapons, or bodily harm to another) that resulted in expulsion, suspension, or the imposition of punishment or sanction.

Board Policy 5600: Student Records

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Illinois Student Records Act afford parents/guardians 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 copy the student’s education records within 15 school days of the day the District receives a request for access.
   • Students less than 18 years of age have the right to inspect and copy their permanent record. Parents/guardians or 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(s)/guardian(s) or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. The District charges $.10 per page for copying but no one will be denied their right to copies of their records for inability to pay this cost. The rights contained in this section are denied to any person against whom an order of protection has been entered concerning a student (105 ILCS 5/10-22.3c, 105 ILCS 10/5a, and 750 ILCS 60/214(b)(15).
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent(s)/guardian(s) or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, irrelevant, or improper.
   • Parents/guardians or eligible students may ask the District to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate, misleading, irrelevant, or improper. They should write the school principal or records custodian, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify the reason.  If the District decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent(s)/guardian(s) or eligible student, the District will notify the parent(s)/guardian(s) or eligible student of the decision and advise him or her of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent(s)/guardian(s) or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3. The right to permit disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that the FERPA or Illinois School Student Records Act authorizes disclosure without consent.
   • Disclosure is permitted without consent to school officials with legitimate educational or administrative interests. A school official is a person employed by the District 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 District has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent(s)/guardian(s) 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 District discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student has enrolled or intends to enroll as well as to any person as specifically required by State or federal law. Before information is released to individuals described in this paragraph, the parent(s)/guardian(s) will receive prior written notice of the nature and substance of the information, and an opportunity to inspect, copy, and challenge such records.
   • The right to challenge school student records does not apply to: (1) academic grades of their child, and (2) references to expulsions or out-of-school suspensions, if the challenge is made at the time the student’s school student records are forwarded to another school to which the student is transferring.
   • Disclosure is also permitted without consent to: any person for research, statistical reporting or planning, provided that no student or parent(s)/guardian(s) can be identified; any person named in a court order; appropriate persons if the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons; and juvenile authorities when necessary for the discharge of their official duties who request information before adjudication of the student.
4. The right to a copy of any school student record proposed to be destroyed or deleted.
   • Student records are reviewed every 4 years or upon a student’s change in attendance centers, whichever occurs first.
5. The right to prohibit the release of directory information concerning the parent’s/guardian’s child.
   • Throughout the school year, the District may release directory information regarding students, limited to:
     • name
     • grade level
     • academic awards, degrees, and honors
     • information in relation to school-sponsored activities, organizations, and athletics
     • major field of study
     • period of attendance in school
     • photos, videos, images
   • Any parent, guardian, or eligible student may prohibit the release of any or all of the above information by delivering a written objection to the building principal within 30 days of the date of this notice. No directory information will be released within this time period, unless the parent, guardian, or eligible student are specifically informed otherwise.
6. The right contained in this statement: No person may condition the granting or withholding of any right, privilege or benefits or make as a condition of employment, credit, or insurance the securing by any individual of any information from a student’s temporary record which such individual may obtain through the exercise of any right secured under State Law.
7. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. 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, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-4605