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Lancaster Central School District

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Family Rights and Privacy (FERPA)

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 student’s education records. These rights are:

  • The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the District receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the building principal a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The District official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
     
  • The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading or otherwise in violation of FERPA. Parents or eligible students who wish to amend a record should write the building principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the District decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the 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.
     
  • 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. 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 District 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 District has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using its own employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, insurance investigator or company, medical consultant or therapist); 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; an individual(s) and organization(s) which the District requests to make a review of the possible appropriateness of providing special education placement, program or services to a student on behalf of the District including, but not limited to BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services), other school districts, approved private schools, and providers of services such as speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, counseling, autism services, special transportation, etc. An individual(s) and/ or organization(s) will be considered a school official regardless of whether the District compensates them for their services. 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 including, but not limited to, reviewing or recommending services, program, or placement.

    In the event of a health and safety emergency, the District may disclose information from a student’s education record when such disclosure appears likely to protect the safety of the student or others.

    Upon request, the District discloses education records without consent to officials of another district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
     
  • The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the District 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