Parent Rights
Rights Guaranteed By FERPA
RIGHTS GUARANTEED BY FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S. C. P 1232g;34 CRF Part 99) requires the school system to give notice to parents (includes natural parents, a guardian(s), or an individual acting as a parent in the absence of a parent or guardian) and eligible students (students 18 years of age or older or who attends an institution of post secondary education) in a manner that is reasonably likely to inform the parents and eligible students of their rights under this act. FERPA does not require school systems to inform parents of their rights on an individual basis.
FERPA guarantees parents and eligible students the following rights;
The notice must contain all information required by federal law and regulations including the following:
1. the right to inspect and review the student’s educational records and the procedure for exercising this right;
2. the right to request amendment of the student’s educational records that the parent or eligible student believes to be inaccurate, misleading or in violation of the student’s privacy rights; and the procedure for exercising this right;
3. 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;
4. the type of information designated as directory information and the right to opt out of release of directory information;
5. that the school system releases records to other institutions that have requested the information and in
which the student seeks or intends to enroll;
6.the right to opt out of releasing the student’s name, address and phone number to military recruiters or institutions of higher education that request such information;
7. a specification of the criteria for determining who constitutes a school official and what constitutes a legitimate educational interest if a school official discloses or intends to disclose personally identifiable information to school officials without consent;
8. notification if the school system uses contractors, consultants, volunteers or similar persons as school officials to perform certain school system services and functions that it would otherwise perform itself; and
9. the right to file complaints with the Family Policy Compliance Office in the U.S. Department of Education.
School officials are not required to individually notify parents or eligible students of their rights but must provide the notice in a manner reasonably likely to inform the parents and eligible students of their rights. Effective notice must be provided to parents or eligible students with disabilities or those whose primary or home language is not English.
For a complete explanation of your rights under FERPA go to Richmond County Schools’ Internet webpage at: www.richmond.k12.nc.us, Policies and Plans, The Richmond County Board of Education Policy Manual, Chapter 4000, Policy 4700.
Parents Bill of Rights
The Board of Education values parental involvement and respects the rights of parents in the education and up-bringing of their children. North Carolina General Statute § 115C-76.25 provides a list of parental rights. Pre-existing Board Policy addresses many of these rights. Future changes in Board Policy to address these rights will be added to this notice. Citations to existing Board policies on the same subject matter are included below.
§ 115C-76.25. Parent legal rights for their child's education.
Parents have legal rights with regards to their child's education, including the following:
a. The right to consent or withhold consent for participation in reproductive health and safety education programs, consistent with the requirements of N.C.G.S. § 115C-81.30. Board Policy 3540.
b. The right to seek a medical or religious exemption from immunization requirements, consistent with the requirements of N.C.G.S. §§ G.S. 130A-156 and 130A-157. Board Policy 4110.
c. The right to review statewide standardized assessment results as part of the State report card. Board Policies 1310/4002.
d. The right to request an evaluation of their child for an academically or intellectually gifted program, or for identification as a child with a disability, as provided in Article 9 of Chapter 115C of the North Carolina General Statutes. Board Policies 1310/4002 and 3520.
e. The right to inspect and purchase public school unit textbooks and other supplementary instructional materials, as provided in Part 3 of Article 8 of 21 Chapter 115C of the North Carolina General Statutes. Board Policy 3210.
f. The right to access information relating to the Board's policies for promotion or retention, including high school graduation requirements. Board Policies 1310/4002.
g. The right to receive student report cards on a regular basis that clearly depict and grade the student's academic performance in each class or course, the student's conduct, and the student's attendance.
h. The right to access information relating to the State public education system, State standards, report card requirements, attendance requirements, and textbook requirements. Board Policies 1310/4002.
i. The right to participate in parent-teacher organizations. Board Policy 5010 .
j. The right to opt-in to certain data collection for their child, as provided in N.C.G.S. § 115C- 76.65. Board Policies 4720.
k. The right for students to participate in protected student information surveys only with parental consent, as provided in N.C.G.S. § 115C-76.65. Board Policies 4720.
l. The right to review all available records of materials their child has borrowed from a school library as set forth in Board Policy 3210.