Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
NOTICE TO PARENTS AND ELIGIBLE STUDENTS OF THE NORTH SYRACUSE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICTRE: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) affords parents and students 18 years of age or older (“eligible students”) the following rights with respect to the students’ education records:
- To inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of receipt of a request for access.
Parents or eligible students should submit to the District Records Access Officer or building principal a written request identifying the records they wish to inspect. The parent or eligible student will be notified of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
- To request amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of the privacy of the student.
Challenges shall be submitted to the District Records Access Officer or building principal in writing and shall (i) identify the part of the record believed to be inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of the privacy of the student and (ii) provide the basis for such belief.
If the district determines not to amend the record, it will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise of the right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding hearing procedures will be provided with the decision.
- 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 district permits disclosure without consent to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the District as an administrator, supervisor, instructor or support staff member; board of education members; individuals or companies with whom the District has contracted to perform special tasks; or parents, students or others serving on an official committee or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks, within both the North Syracuse Central School District and Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES. A legitimate educational interest exists when the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her school related responsibilities.
Upon request, the district discloses education records without consent to officials of other school districts in which the student seeks or intends to enroll.
The district may release directory information regarding students.
The district may disclose education records without prior consent in other circumstances permitted by FERPA.
- To file a complaint with the US Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the district to comply with requirements of FERPA.
Complaints should be addressed to:
Family Policy Compliance Office
US Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, Southwest
Washington, DC 20202-4605
In addition to the rights outlined above, FERPA also permits the district to release, without prior consent, information that the district has designated as “directory information.”
Directory Information for each student includes: the students name; address; telephone number; date and place of birth; age; school currently attended; grade in school; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; dates of attendance; degrees, honors, and awards received; and the most recent previous educational institution attended.
Parents or eligible students objecting to release of some or all of this information without prior consent must annually notify the RAO or principal in writing, identifying the types of directory information to be withheld from release.
In addition, Federal Law requires the district to provide students’ names, addresses and telephone numbers to military recruiters upon request. Parents or eligible students who do not want this information released to military recruiters, must notify the district in writing that you do not want these particular categories of directory information released to military recruiters, unless you notify the district in writing to withhold the information from release to any person, in which case it will not be released to military recruiters either.
