Student Records

Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District maintains records on each student in order to facilitate the instruction, guidance and educational progress of the student. The records contain information about the student and his or her education and may include, but are not limited to, the following types of records: identification data, attendance data, record of achievement, family background data, aptitude tests, educational and vocational plans, honors and activities, discipline data, objective counselor or teacher ratings, and observations and external agency reports.

The records of each student are generally located in the school in which he or she is attending. The person in charge of record maintenance for each school building will note in the student’s other records any exception. The name and position of the person responsible for maintenance of student records for each school building is listed:

Dallas Center Elementary – Debra Cale/Principal

Heritage Elementary – Diann Williamson/Principal

North Ridge Elementary – April Heitland/Principal

South Prairie Elementary – Patty Morris/Principal

Dallas Center-Grimes Middle School – DCG Middle School Principal

Oak View – Joan Cundiff/Principal

Dallas Center-Grimes High School – Travis Donahue/Principal

The following persons, agencies and organizations may have restricted access to student records without prior written consent of the parent or student over the age of 18 years. Any other access to student records shall be only upon written consent or upon court order or legally issued subpoena.

• to school officials within the school district and AEA personnel whom the superintendent has determined to have a legitimate educational interest, including, but not limited to, board members, employees, school attorney, auditor, health professionals, and individuals serving on official school committees;

• to officials of another school district in which the student wishes to enroll, provided the other school district notifies the parents the student records are being sent and the parents have an opportunity to receive a copy of the records and challenge the contents of the records unless the annual includes a provision that records will automatically be transferred to new school districts;

Notification includes a provision that records will automatically be transferred to new school districts;

• To the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education or state and local educational authorities;

• In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received if the information is necessary to receive the financial aid;

• to organizations conducting educational studies and the study does not release personally identifiable information; to accrediting organizations;

• To parents of a dependent student as defined in the Internal Revenue Code;

• To comply with a court order or judicially issued subpoena (consistent with an inter-agency agreement between the school district and juvenile justice agencies);

• In connection with a health or safety emergency; or, as directory information.

Student records are reviewed and inappropriate material destroyed periodically and, at a minimum, whenever a student moves from the elementary level to the middle school level, from middle school level to the high school level, and when a student transfers out of the district. Those records not of permanent importance are destroyed within three years after graduation or discontinued attendance.

The parents of disabled students, or disabled students over age 18, will be informed when personally identifiable information in the records is no longer needed to provide educational services, and before the information is destroyed. Parents of students under age 18, or over 18 if still claimed as a dependent, and students over age 18 may exercise the opportunity to review educational records of the student, to obtain copies of the records, to write a response to material in the record, to challenge the content of the record on grounds of inappropriateness, inaccuracy or an invasion of privacy, and to have the records explained.

The procedure to be followed in exercising any of the rights under school policies or files may be obtained from any of the aforementioned persons responsible for maintaining student records.

Students and parents may file with the Department of Education, complaints concerning alleged failures of the school district to comply with federal legislation dealing with student records. Correspondence should be ad- dressed to: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office, Department of Education, Switzer Building, 330 C Street SW., Washington, D.C. 20201.

If you are the parent or legal guardian of a student, you have the right to (1) inspect and review your child’s educational records; (2) ask for an explanation of any item in the records; (3) have copies made at a reasonable cost; (4) be informed of types and locations of records being collect- ed or used by the agency; (5) ask for the amendment of any record if you feel it is inaccurate, misleading or violates privacy rights; (6) a records hearing if the agency does not make the requested amendment; (7) give or withhold con- sent to disclose your child’s records; (8) be told to whom information has been disclosed.