515 - Public Notice
Independent School District No. 624 gives notice to parents of students currently in attendance in the District, and eligible students currently in attendance in the District, of their rights regarding pupil records.
A. Parents and eligible students are hereby informed that they have the following rights:
1. The parent or eligible student has a right to inspect and review the student’s education records. A parent or eligible student should submit to the school district a written request to inspect education records which identify as precisely as possible the record or records they wish to inspect. The parent or eligible student will be notified of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
2. The parent or eligible student has a right to request amendment of the student’s education records to ensure that those records are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy or other rights. A parent or eligible student may ask the school district to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. The request shall be in writing, shall identify the item(s) the parent or eligible student believe(s) to be inaccurate, misleading or in violation of the privacy or other rights of the student, shall state the reason for this belief, and shall specify the correction(s) the parent or eligible student wishes the school district to make. The request shall be signed by the parent or eligible student. If the school district decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the school district 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 parent or eligible student has a right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that federal and state law and the regulations promulgated thereunder authorize disclosures without consent.
4. The school district may disclose education records to other school officials within the school district whom the school district has determined to have legitimate educational interests. For purposes of such disclosure, a “school official” is a person employed by the school district as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel) or other employee; a person serving on the school board; a person or company with whom the school district has consulted to perform a specific task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, therapist, public information office, or data practices compliance official); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or any individual assisting a school official in the performance of their tasks. A school official has a “legitimate educational interest” if the individual needs to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibility and includes, but is not limited to, an interest directly related to classroom instruction, teaching, student achievement and progress, discipline of a student, and student health and welfare.
5. The school district has a right to forward education records on request to a school or post-secondary educational institution in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, or is already enrolled, as long as the disclosure is for purposes related to the student's enrollment or transfer and that such records may include suspension and expulsion records pursuant to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, and if applicable, a student's history of violent behavior.
6. The parent or eligible student has a right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education regarding an alleged failure by the school district to comply with the requirements of FERPA, and the rules promulgated thereunder, the name and address of the office that administers the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-8520
7. The parent or eligible student has a right to obtain a copy of the school district’s policy regarding the protection and privacy of pupil records. Copies of the school district’s policy regarding the protection and privacy of school records are located on the school district’s website at https://www.isd624.org/about/district-policies.
B. Pursuant to applicable law, Independent School District No. 624 gives notice to parents of students currently in attendance in the school district, and eligible students currently in attendance in the school district, of the right to refuse to let the district designate specified data about the student as directory information.
1. The directory information described is the White Bear Lake Area School District’s listing of public information.
a) Student’s name
b) Photograph
c) Information provided by the student for inclusion in school-approved publications, including district and school social media sites; yearbooks; electronic newsletters; cable TV or newspapers
d) Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
e) Weight and height of members of athletic teams
f) Names and pictures of students participating in or attending extra-curricular activities, school events, and High School League activities or events
g) Major field of study
h) Dates of attendance
i) Grade level
j) Enrollment status (i.e., full-time or part-time
k) Degrees, honors, and awards received
l) Previous educational agency or institution attended
2. Disclosure of directory information will be limited to the following individuals, agencies, or parties:
a) companies that have a contract with the district to publish yearbooks or distribute class rings;
b) organizations that exist to promote the school district’s interest, such as parent-teacher organizations and area education foundations; and
c) other organizations determined by the district to promote the interests of the district’s students.
3. In order to make any or all of the directory information “private” (i.e. subject to consent prior to disclosure), the parent or eligible student must make a written request to the office of the Superintendent within thirty (30) days after the date of the last publication of the public notice. This written request must include the following information:
a) Name of the student and/or parent, as appropriate;
b) Home address;
c) School presently attended by student;
d) Parent's legal relationship to student, if applicable; and
e) Specific categories of directory information are not to be made public without the parent's or eligible student's prior written consent, which shall only be applicable for that school year.
C. Pursuant to applicable law, Independent School District No. 624 hereby gives notice to parents of students and eligible students in grades 11 and 12 of their rights regarding release of information to military recruiting officers and postsecondary educational institutions.
1. The school district must release the names, addresses, email address (which shall be the email addresses provided by the school district, if available, that may be released to military recruiters only), and home telephone numbers of students in grades 11 and 12 to military recruiting officers and postsecondary educational institutions within sixty (60) days after the date of the request. Data released to military recruiting officers under this provision may be used only for the purpose of providing information to students about military service, state and federal veterans’ education benefits, and other career and educational opportunities provided by the military and cannot be further disseminated to any other person except personnel of the recruiting services of the armed forces.
2. Should the parent of a student or the student so desire, any or all of the listed information will not be disclosed without the parent's or eligible student's prior written consent except to school officials as provided under federal law.
3. In order to make any or all of the directory information listed above “private” (i.e. subject to consent prior to disclosure), the parent or eligible student must make a written request to the office of the Superintendent within thirty (30) days after the date of the last publication of the public notice. This written request must include the following information:
a) Name of the student and/or parent, as appropriate;
b) Home address;
c) School presently attended by student;
d) Parent's legal relationship to student, if applicable;
e) Specific category or categories of directory information which are not to be released to military recruiting officers and post-secondary educational institutions without prior consent; and
f) Specific category or categories of directory information which are not to be released to the public, including military recruiting officers and post-secondary educational institutions.