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FERPA

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are 18 years of age or older ("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 45 days after the day the Apollo-Ridge School District receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students who wish to inspect their child’s or their education records should submit to the school principal or the Superintendent a written request that identifies the records 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, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the [School] to amend their child’s or their education record should write the school principal or the Superintendent, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify why it should be changed. 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 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 provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from 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. Those falling under the classification of school official include a person employed by the school or school district as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel) or a person serving on the school board. A school official also may include a volunteer, contractor, or consultant who, while not employed by the school, performs an institutional service or function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist; a parent or student volunteering to serve on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or a parent, student, or other volunteer assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official typically 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, or is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes of the student’s enrollment or transfer.

As another exception, FERPA allows the disclosure of appropriately designated "directory information" without written consent, unless you have advised the school to the contrary in accordance with the procedures stated below. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the District to include this type of information from your child's education records in certain school publications. Examples include:

  • A playbill, showing students’ roles in a theatrical production;
  • The annual yearbook;
  • Honor roll or other recognition lists;
  • Graduation programs;
  • Photographs of students participating in curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities; and
  • Sports programs, such as for football, showing weight and height of team members.


The District has designated the following information as directory information:

  • Student's name
  • Address
  • Telephone listing
  • Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
  • Weight and height of members of athletic teams
  • Photograph
  • Date and place of birth
  • Degrees, honors, and awards received
  • Dates of attendance
  • Grade level


In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide military recruiters, upon request, with three directory information categories - names, addresses and telephone listings - unless parents have advised the school that they do not want their student's information disclosed without their prior written consent.

If you do not want the Apollo-Ridge School District to disclose directory information from your child's education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the school principal or the Superintendent in writing within thirty (30) days of receipt of this notice.

  1. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the Apollo-Ridge School District 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