USD 475 Geary County Schools
123 N. Eisenhower
Junction City, Kansas 66441
785-717-4000

 
DISCLAIMER and PRIVACY STATEMENTS
This page includes the following Geary County USD 475 policy statements:
WEB DISCLAIMER STATEMENT  |   EXTERNAL LINKS STATEMENT  |   SAFETY AND PRIVACY STATEMENT 
NOTICE OF RIGHTS UNDER FERPA  |  NOTICE OF RIGHTS UNDER PPRA  | 
NOTICE ON TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS

 

WEB DISCLAIMER STATEMENT

We make every reasonable attempt to ensure that our web pages are educationally sound and do not contain links to any questionable material.

Student work may be published by USD 475 unless denied by a parent or guardian. This is described under the provisions of the Family Educational and Privacy Act (FERPA).  See below in the SAFETY AND PRIVACY section of this page.

At no time will a student's personal e-mail address or phone number appear on the USD 475 website.

 

EXTERNAL LINKS STATEMENT

The appearance of hyperlinks to web sites or documents outside the USD 475 site does not constitute endorsement by Geary County USD 475 of the linked web sites, or the information, products, or services contained therein. 

We welcome any ideas or comments. Contact us by sending an e-mail to webmaster@usd475.org.

 

SAFETY AND PRIVACY STATEMENT

Geary County USD 475 has specific policies to provide for the safety and privacy of students and staff. These are described under the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) that is published as a legal notice in the local Daily Union newspaper.  An interpretation of FERPA/PPRA is also included below.

 

FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS & PRIVACY ACT (FERPA)

Notification of Rights Under FERPA

Contains the Notice for Directory Information and Education Records

Notice for Directory Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Geary County Schools, USD 475, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your childs education records. However, USD 475 may disclose appropriately designated "directory information" without written consent, unless you have advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District procedures.

The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the Geary County Unified School District to include this type of information from your childs education records in certain school publications. Examples include:

Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parents prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance, under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with three directory information categories names, addresses and telephone listings unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their students information disclosed without prior written consent. *

If you do not want the Geary County School District to disclose directory information from your childs education records without your prior written consent, you must notify in writing, the students school principal by Monday, August 15, 2011 or within ten (10) days of enrollment. Geary County USD 475 has designated the following information as directory information:

  Students name   Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
  Address   Weight and height of members of athletic teams
  Telephone Listing   Degrees, honors, and awards received
  Electronic mail address  

The most recent educational agency or institution attended

  Photograph   Student work and/or video tapes of student participation in instruction and/or school related activities
  Dates of attendance Major field of study
  Grade Level    

* These laws are: Section 9528 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7908), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110), the education bill, and 10 U.S.C. 503, as amended by section 544, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (P.L.107-107), the legislation that provides funding for the Nations armed forces.

 

Education Records

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 students education records. These rights are:

(1) The right to inspect and review the students education records within 45 days of the day the School receives a request for access.

Parents 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 School official 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 the students education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate.

Parents or eligible students may ask the School to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. They should write the School principal (or appropriate school official), clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate. If the School decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the School 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 disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the students 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 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 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.

Upon request, the School 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 U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by USD 475 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 Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605

 

Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

PPRA affords parents and students who are 18 or emancipated minors ("eligible students") certain rights regarding our conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. These include the right to:

Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following protected areas ("protected information survey") if the survey is funded in whole or in part by a program of the U.S. Department of Education (ED):

  • Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or students parent;
  • Mental or psychological problems of the student of the students family;
  • Sex behavior or attitudes;
  • Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
  • Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;
  • Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
  • Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or
  • Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of:

  • Any other protected information survey, regardless of funding;
  • Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening required as a condition of attendance, administered by the school or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of a student, except for hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or required under State law; and
  • Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.

Inspect, upon request and before administration or use:

  • Protected information surveys of students;
  • Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes; and
  • Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

Parents/eligible students who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605

 

Notice on Teacher Qualifications

As a parent of a student attending a school that receives federal funds under the "No Child Left Behind" Act, you have the right to know the professional qualifications of each of your child's teachers. You have the right to ask for the following information about each of your childs teachers:

If you would like to receive any or all of this information, please contact the building principal at your child's school.

    Last updated by Information Services on 06/14/11