JRA-E - Notification of FERPA Rights
NOTIFICATION OF FERPA RIGHTS
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 educational records. These rights are:
The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the School receives a request for access.
Parents or eligible students should submit to the school Superintendent/Principal, a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The school principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the School to amend a record should write the school’s Superintendent/Principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the Superintendent/Principal decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the Superintendent/Principal 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.
The right to consent to disclosures 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 Department as an administrator, director, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement personnel); a person serving on the School Committee; a person or company with whom the School Department has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using its own employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, therapist, or transportation personnel); 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 educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his/her professional responsibility.
Upon request, the School Department discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends
to enroll. The School Department will make a reasonable attempt to notify the parent or eligible student of the record request.
The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the Acton School Department to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5920
Legal Reference: 20 USC 1232g, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Cross References: JO Student Records
Adopted: June 12, 2007
Revised: January 11, 2024