Administrative Letters
N001 - FERPA Notice
General Information about FERPA
WCSD District Policy 3260 - Rights of Privacy
District FERPA Notification
Washington County School District
IMPORTANT STUDENT AND PARENT RIGHTS
FERPA NOTIFICATION
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and District Policy 3260 affords parents and students over
18 years of age ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records. These rights are:
1) 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 principal or assistant principal 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 student's education records that the parent or eligible student believes
is inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask the School to amend a record that they believe
is inaccurate or misleading. Such requests should be in writing and addressed to the school principal or assistant
principal. It must clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or
misleading. 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 student's education
records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. The following information
my be disclosed without consent:
a) Directory Information: The following information is designated as student Directory Information:
Student’s name, address (to include internet address), phone number, date of birth, grade level, extracurricular participation, awards or honors, photograph, video or digital images, height and weight (if a
member of an athletic team), previous school attended, dates of attendance, and parent’s name. “Directory
Information” may be disclosed without prior written consent. The District will also routinely disclose
names, addresses, and telephone numbers to military recruiters and institutes of higher education.
Parents or eligible students will have two weeks from the beginning of the school year or date a student
enrolls to advise the school district, in writing, of any and all items they refuse to permit the district to
designate as directory information for the balance of the school year.
b) School Officials: School officials with legitimate educational interests may also have access to records. A
school official is a person employed by the School as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support
staff member such as a bus driver (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.
c) Other Schools: The School may disclose 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 the 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 20202-4605