Mandatory Notification of Student & Parent Rights
The Bulloch County Board of Education is required to give students and parents annual notice of the various rights accorded to parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) pursuant to the federal statute, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and Georgia’s Student Privacy, Accessibility and Transparency Act. Parents and eligible students have a right to be notified of certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. In accordance with these statutes, you are notified of the following:
- Right to Inspect Records
You, as a parent or eligible student, have the right to review and inspect substantially all of the student’s education records maintained by or at a school which your child attends in the Bulloch County School System within 45 days of the day the school receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal or other appropriate school official a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. School officials will make arrangements for access and notify the parents or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
- Right to Consent Disclosures
You have the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable data contained in the student’s educational records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. The intent of Bulloch County Schools is to limit the disclosure of personally identifiable educational information contained in your educational records to those instances when prior written consent has been given to the disclosure, as an item of directory information of which you have not refused to permit disclosure, and/or under the provisions of FERPA which allows disclosure without prior written consent.
One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interest. Although the term school official is not defined in the statute or regulations, this school district generally interprets the term as the following:
- a person employed by the school as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member, including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel
- a substitute or contract worker assigned duties ordinarily performed by an employee
- a person serving on the school board
- a person or company with whom the school has contracted to perform a special task, such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist
- a school resource officer employed by a local law enforcement agency, but assigned to a school
- a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or school compliant committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks as an authorized volunteer
A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Understand that, upon request, the school discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
- Right to Request Amendments
You have the right to have corrected any parts of an educational record that is believed to be inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of your rights. A parent or eligible student who wishes to amend or correct a record that he or she believes to be inaccurate should:
- Write the school principal or appropriate school official;
- Clearly identify the part of the record they want changed; and
- Specify why it is inaccurate.
If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the school will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding a request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedure will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
- Right to Complain
You have the right to file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-4605.
- Right to Complain about Student Privacy
You have the right to complain about perceived violations of a student’s privacy. Complaints may be made to the Superintendent’s Office located at the Bulloch County Schools Central Office.
- Right to Obtain Policy
You have the right to obtain a copy of the written institutional policy adopted by this institution in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). A copy may be obtained in person or by mail from the Bulloch County Board of Education, 150 Williams Road, Statesboro, Georgia 30458.