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The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the student’s scholastic records.   They are:

• The right to inspect and review the student’s scholastic records within 45 days of the day the school system receives a request for access.  Parents or eligible students should submit to the building principal or the Director of Special Services a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect.  The building principal or the Director of Special Services will arrange for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

• The right to request the amendment of the student’s scholastic records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask Orange County Public Schools to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading.  They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify what is inaccurate or misleading.  If the school division decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the school division 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.

• The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education record, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.  One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests.  A school official is a person employed by the school division as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a person or company the school division 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 the scholastic records in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the school division discloses scholastic records without consent to the officials of another school division in which the student seeks to or intends to enroll.  If a school division discloses directory information, it may want to include its directory information public notice. 

• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the school division to comply with the requirements of FERPA.  The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:  Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.

Disabled individuals, parents, and community members are herein notified that the Orange County Public School System destroys the records of each disabled student who has been enrolled in a special education program eight years after the student separates from the OCPS. Parents should be aware that the child or the parents could need information from this record for Social Security or other benefits.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Director of Special Services for the Orange County Public School System at 661-4555.