Access to Education Records:

1. All documents in the student cumulative/permanent record file, which include directory information, ethnic origin, schools and years attended, subjects completed, grades and credits earned, competency evaluations, certain health records, and other documents related to the education program, are private records with the exception of certain directory information.
2. Student records shall be accessible to:
   1. Authorized school personnel having responsibility for the student’s educational program, and to individuals conducting federal, state, or district audits of educational programs.
      1. In the event that parents are divorced or separated, both parents shall be entitled to access their child’s student records unless prohibited by court order.
   2. Eligible students.
      1. An eligible student is a student who is 18 years or older.
   3. Except in accordance with state and federal law, access to student records shall not be given to individuals other than those listed is above.
3. Certain student information designated as “directory information” may be made public without prior written consent. However, there is no legal requirement that a school or the district release directory information about a student.  Canyons School District has designated “directory information” in its FERPA Annual Notification (Exhibit 1).
   1. Parents or students who do not want this information to be made public will be given an opportunity each year to notify the school that such information is not to be made public through the FERPA Annual Notification.
   2. A copy of the Annual Notice, which includes information on access rights, must be included in student registration packets and all student handbooks, posted on the district’s website, and otherwise widely distributed and made available to parents.
4. The District’s Student Information Military and College Recruiting Opt-Out Forms (Exhibit 2) must also be included in registration materials, posted on the district’s policy website, and otherwise widely distributed and made available to parents.

Requests to Review Student Records:

1. Parents of students currently enrolled or eligible students may submit a written request to the school principal or designee to review or obtain copies of their student’s record.
   1. Before allowing a person access to student records, school personnel must verify the identity of the person making the request.
   2. Directory information should not routinely be released to the public or media. School employees should contact Planning and Enrollment if they have questions about requests they may receive.
2. Access to school records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) pertains only to official educational records, such as grades, attendance, and other information found in the cumulative file. It does not extend to classroom notes held by an individual teacher, principal, counselor, or other staff.
   1. Schools are not required to prepare special reports or to recreate lost or destroyed records to satisfy a request for student records.
3. Copies of records must be provided to parents and eligible students at a reasonable cost. The inability to pay reproduction costs may not prohibit access to the record itself.
4. Requests for access to records should be granted in a timely manner; however, schools have up to 45 days to reply to a request.
5. Except for those individuals listed in 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 schools must maintain a record of each request for access to, and each disclosure they make from, an education record.
   1. The record of access must include the names of parties who have requested or received information from the records, and the stated reason for the request.
   2. A copy of the signed parent consent to release a record must be kept in the student’s cumulative file.
6. Schools are not required to keep a log or other record of access if the request is from, or the disclosure made to any of the following:
   1. the parent or eligible student;
   2. a properly designated school official for a legitimate educational purpose; or
   3. a party seeking directory information.

Denial of Release of Student Information

1. If a school receives either a parent’s or eligible student’s written authorization to deny the release of their student’s directory information, or a signed Media Release Form or Military and College Recruiting Opt-Out Form, the school will document that Denial or Release authorization in the student information system.
   1. If a parent or eligible student chooses the option of denying the release of their student’s directory information, they are opting out of the release of all directory information. Parents may not select items or circumstances under which some information may or may not be released.
2. Schools must monitor each request to deny the release of a student’s information to ensure that the request is honored.
3. Before releasing any student information to or on any media, the District’s Communication Department will verify, to the best of its ability, whether any documentation restricting the release of such information exists.