Under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) only parents or eligible students (18 years of age or older) have the rights to educational records pertaining to the student. Disclosure to anyone else without the written consent of the parent or eligible student is limited except as provided by law. Districts may disclose student records without parental consent in certain situations such as to other school officials who have legitimate educational interests and certain other state and federal officials. Also, student records may be forwarded without prior written consent to other schools where students are seeking or attending enrollment.
Under FERPA, parents or eligible students have the following rights: inspect and review the educational records of their children; restrict access by others to those records by withholding their consent for disclosure; challenge and seek amendments to the contents of educational records of the children; obtain notice of the rights under FERPA; and file complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office regarding any alleged violation of FERPA.
Either parent is entitled to full rights under FERPA unless the school district receives evidence of court orders, state statute or legally binding document relating to a separation, divorce or custody matter that specifically revokes those rights. All requests to access to student educational records should be made through the appropriate building principal.