West Babylon Schools
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Please note, at the bottom of this page there are links to BOE policies related to FERPA. Please feel free to use these links to get more information about how our district handles student and family information. Below you will find our NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS (which is also mailed home to all families) regarding FERPA, which gives an overview of your child’s rights as they pertain to the potential release of information from the school district under state and federal law.If, at any time, you wish to file a complaint against the school district related to a FERPA violation, information is included below on how you can do this. You have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by this school 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

Notification of Rights

This is to advise you of your rights with respect to the school records relating to (your child/children) (you) pursuant to the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).

Parents of a student under 18, or a student 18 or older, have a right to inspect and review any and all official records, files, and data directly related to the student, including all material that is incorporated into the student’s cumulative record folder, and intended for school use or to be available to parties outside the school or school system, and specifically including, but not necessarily limited to, identifying data, academic work completed, level of achievement (grades,standardized achievement test scores), attendance data, scores on standardized intelligence, aptitude, and psychological tests, interest inventory results, health data, family background information, teacher or counselor ratings and observations, and verified reports of serious or recurrent behavior patterns.

A parent of a student under 18 years of age or a student 18 years of age or older shall make a request for access to the student’s school records, in writing, to the principal of the building to which such student is assigned. Upon receipt of such request, arrangements shall be made to provide access to such records within a reasonable period of time, but in no case, no more thanforty-five (45) days after the request has been received.

If information contained in the student’s record is believed to be inaccurate or misleading, the parent or eligible student should write to me, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed and specifying why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the district decides not to amend the record as requested, you will be notified of the decision and advised of your 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.

Student records and any material contained therein which is personally identifiable, are confidential and may not be released or made available to persons other than parents or students without the written consent of such parents or student. There are a number of
exceptions to this rule, such as other school employees and officials, and certain State and Federal officials, who have a legitimate educational need for access to such records in the course of their employment.

The district will disclose, upon request, educational records to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. In addition, the district will disclose a high school student’s name, address, and telephone number to military recruiters and institutions of higher learning unless the parents or eligible student exercise their right to prohibit release of the information without prior written consent. The law permits educators to share information with other state and local officials, specified by state statute, as part of the juvenile justice system.

You have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by this school 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

Directory information may be disclosed without prior written consent. Directory information includes a student’s name, photos, parents’ names, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, participation in school activities or sports, weight and height if a member of an athletic team, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and most recent previous school attended. Social security numbers and student identification numbers are not considered directory information and will not be released. Parents or eligible students will have fourteen (14) days from the beginning of the school year or date a student enrolls to advise the school district, in writing via a letter to the building principal, of any and all items they refuse to permit the district to designate as directory information for the remainder of the school year.

Active Board of Education Policies Regarding FERPA

Policy 5500: STUDENT RECORDS
Policy 5500-R: STUDENT RECORDS REGULATION
Policy 5500-E.1: FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT (FERPA). NOTICE
REGARDING ACCESS TO STUDENT RECORDS AND STUDENT INFORMATION
Policy 5500- E.2: NOTIFICATION OF DIRECTORY INFORMATION DESIGNATIONS
Policy 5550- STUDENT PRIVACY
Policy 8635-E: PARENTS’ BILL OF RIGHTS FOR STUDENT DATA PRIVACY AND SECURITY