STUDENT EDUCATION RECORDS AND INFORMATION

Southport Central School shall comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) and all other federal and state laws and regulations concerning confidentiality and maintenance of student records and student information.

A. Directory Information

Southport Central School designates the following student information as directory information: name, participation and grade level of students in recognized activities and sports, height and weight of student athletes, dates of attendance in the school unit, and honors and awards received. Southport Central School may disclose directory information if it has provided notice to parents (and eligible students over 18) and has not received timely written notice refusing permission to designate such information as directory information.

B. Military Recruiters/Higher Education Access to Information

Under federal law, military recruiters and institutions of higher education are entitled to receive the names, addresses and telephone numbers of secondary students and Southport Central School must comply with any such request, provided that parents have been notified of their right to request that this information not be released without their prior written consent.

C. Information on the Internet

Under Maine law, Southport Central School shall not publish on the Internet any information that identifies a student, including but not limited to the student’s full name, photograph, personal biography, e-mail address, home address, date of birth, social security number and parents’ names, without written parental consent.

D. Transfer of Student Records

As required by Maine law, Southport Central School sends student education records to a school unit to which a student applies for transfer, including disciplinary records, attendance records, special education records and health records (except for confidential health records for which consent for dissemination has not been obtained).

E. Designation of Law Enforcement Unit

School units may disclose student education records without parental consent to personnel of its law enforcement unit, provided that they have been designated as school officials with legitimate educational interests for the purpose of compliance with FERPA.

The Board hereby designates its School Resource Officer or police department/sheriff’s office as Southport Central School’s law enforcement unit for the purpose of disclosure of student education records under FERPA.

F Health or Safety Emergencies

As permitted by FERPA, the school unit may disclose personally identifiable information from a student’s educational record to appropriate parties, including parents of an eligible student if, taking into account the totality of the circumstances, it determines that there is an articulable and significant threat to the health or safety of the student or other individuals and that knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals. In the event of disclosure, the school unit will record the articulable and significant threat that formed the basis for the disclosure and the parties to whom the school unit has disclosed and maintain such record with the student’s educational record.

G. Administrative Procedures and Notices

The Superintendent is responsible for developing and implementing any administrative procedures and parent notices necessary to comply with the applicable laws and regulations concerning student education records and information. Notices shall be distributed annually to parents and eligible students concerning their rights under these laws and regulations. A copy of this policy shall be posted in each school.

Legal Reference: 20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 C.F.R. Part 99 20 U.S.C. § 7908

20-A M.R.S.A. §§ 6001, 6001-B

Ch. 101, 125 (Me. Dept. of Ed. Rules)

Cross Reference:

JRA-E – Annual Notice of Student Education Records and Information Rights

JRA-R – Education Records and Information Administrative Procedure

ILD – Student Surveys

Adopted: 9-21-95

Revised: 6-10-19