FERPA Notice

FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT ANNUAL NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS AND DESIGNATION OF DIRECTORY INFORMATION

Each year the Charlotte Public Schools, Eaton County, Michigan, is required to give notice of the various rights accorded to parents or students pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”). Parents and eligible students have a right to be notified and informed. In accordance with FERPA, you are notified of the following:

1. Right to inspect

You have the right to inspect and review substantially all of your education records maintained by or at the Charlotte Public Schools. This right extends to the parent of a student under 18 years of age and to any student age 18 or older.

2. Right to request amendment

You have the right to seek to have corrected any parts of an education record which you believe to be inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of your rights. This right includes the right to a hearing to present evidence that the record should be changed if a designated official of the Charlotte Public Schools decides not to alter the education records according to your request. If no change is made to the education record after the hearing, you have a right to place a written rebuttal in the record.

3. Right to prevent disclosures

You have the right to prevent disclosure of education records to third parties with certain limited exceptions. It is the intent of the Board of Education to limit the disclosure of information contained in your education records to those instances when prior or written consent had been given to the disclosure, as an item of directory information of which you have not refused to permit disclosure, or under the provisions of FERPA which allow disclosure without prior written consent.

4. Right to complain

You have the right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning the alleged failure of the Charlotte Public Schools to comply with FERPA. Your complaint should be directed to:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
600 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605

5. Right to obtain policy

You have the right to obtain a copy of the policy adopted by the Board of Education in compliance with FERPA. A copy may be obtained in person or by mail from: Office of the Superintendent Charlotte Public Schools 378 State Street Charlotte, MI 48813

6. Right to object to release of directory information

Generally, school officials must have written permission from the parent of a student or an eligible student before releasing any information from a student’s record. However, FERPA allows school districts to disclose, without consent, “directory” type information. The Board of Education of the Charlotte Public Schools, Eaton County, Michigan has designated the following personally identifiable information contained in a student’s education record as “directory information”:

Student’s name, photograph, video tape of performances or events, grade level, participation in officially-recognized sports and activities, weight and height of athletic team members, student achievements, awards, recognitions, degrees, honors and awards received

Unless you advise the District that you do not want any or all of this information released, school officials may release personally identifiable information which it has designated as directory information. Upon such objection, this information will not be released without the prior consent of the parent or eligible student.

7. Objections

You have two weeks from the receipt of this notice to advise the District in writing of any or all of those types of information about the student which you refuse to permit the District to designate as directory information. Your objections should be addressed to:

Charlotte Public Schools
Superintendent
378 State Street
Charlotte, MI 48813

Or, you may submit your objection in a signed and dated electronic format. The objection must identify and authenticate a particular person as the source of the electronic objection, and indicate such person’s disapproval of any or all of those types of information about the student which you refuse to permit the District to designate as directory information. Electronic objections may be sent to [email protected]

8. Military recruiting representatives

High school students and their parents/guardians may prevent disclosure of a student’s name, address, and telephone number to military recruiting representatives (who can only use that information to provide information to students concerning educational and career opportunities available in the U.S. Armed Forces of service academies) by submitting a signed request to that effect using either of the above methods.

9. Procedure for transferring student disciplinary records from other districts

The District’s procedure for transference of student disciplinary records is as follows: parent shall fill out and sign a “Request for Educational Records & Affirmation of Prior Discipline Record” form. This form shall then be returned to Charlotte Public Schools Registrar’s office which will then forward this request to the prior district.