SAFETY AND PRIVACY STATEMENT

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

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.

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:

• Whether the teacher is certified by the state of Kansas to teach the grades and subjects he or she teaches.
• Whether the teacher is teaching under an emergency or provisional certificate.
• The teachers college major.
• Whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and, if so, the subject of those degrees.
• Whether aides or paraprofessionals provide services to your child and, if so, qualifications of the aide or paraprofessional.

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