Student Records

A federal law known as FERPA and state regulations govern the handling of student records in Massachusetts. Annual notice to parents is required by these laws and regulations. Below is a summary of the rights provided by FERPA, with links to the Massachusetts Student Record Regulations. If you have questions about these areas of the law, please call us.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Massachusetts Student Records Regulations (603 CMR 23.00) afford parents and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records. These rights are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 10 days (state law) of the day the school receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask the school to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the principal or appropriate official, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. 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 the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
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. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is 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 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); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. 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. Upon request, the school discloses education records without consent to officials of another school or school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the school to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA are Family Policy Compliance Office U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.
5. The district has determined that the following information regarding the district's students is not harmful or an invasion of privacy, and therefore will release this information without first obtaining parental consent. The purpose of releasing such information is to enable the District to publish newsletters, yearbooks, directories and similar publications, and to release information to media outlets concerning student academic and athletic achievements. If a parent, guardian, person acting as a student's parent in absence of a parent or guardian, or the student (if 18 or older), does not want the district to release the information listed below, they must notify the district in writing within ten (10) days of receiving this document of the information they do not want released.

The following information may be released, as stated above, without obtaining parental consent: Student's name, parent's name, address, telephone number, electronic mail address, date and place of birth, grade level, field of study, enrollment status (e.g., full-time or part-time), participation in officially recognized activities and sports including audiovisual or photographic records of the openly visible activities thereof (e.g., artistic performances, sporting contests, assemblies, service projects, awards ceremonies, etc.), weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees, honors and awards received, most recent previous school attended and photograph (including videotape), including photographs of regular school activities that do not disclose specific academic information about the child and/or would not be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy.

Military recruiters and institutions of higher education are entitled under federal law to a list of names, addresses, and telephone numbers of high school students unless you object to such release. If you notify your principal in writing at any time that you do not wish your child's name, address, and telephone number released to recruiters without your written consent, we will honor that request.