SJSD Privacy Information
ACCESS TO STUDENT INFORMATION
Parent and Eligible Student Access
All parents may inspect and review their student's education records, seek amendments, consent to disclosures and file complaints regarding the records as allowed by law. These rights transfer from the parent to the student once the student becomes an eligible student; however, under the Missouri Sunshine Law, parents maintain some rights to inspect student records even after a student turns 18. The district will extend the same access to records to either parent, regardless of divorce, custody or visitation rights, unless the district is provided with evidence that the parent's rights to inspect records have been legally modified. If a parent or eligible student believes an education record related to the student contains information that is inaccurate, misleading or in violation of the student's privacy, the parent or eligible student may use the appeals procedures created by the superintendent or designee to request that the district amend the record. The district will annually notify parents and eligible students of their rights in accordance with law.
Directory Information
Directory information is information contained in an education record of a student that generally would not be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed without the consent of a parent or eligible student. The district will designate the types of information included in directory information and release this information without first obtaining consent from a parent or eligible student unless a parent or eligible student notifies the district in writing as directed. Parents and eligible students will be notified annually of the information the district has designated as directory information and the process for notifying the district if they do not want the information released.
Even if parents or eligible students notify the district in writing that they do not want directory information disclosed, the district may still disclose the information if required or allowed to do so by law. For example, the district may require students to disclose their names, identifiers or district email addresses in classes in which they are enrolled, or students may be required to wear, publicly display or disclose a student identification card or badge that exhibits information that is designated as directory information.
The school district designates the following items as directory information.
General Directory Information – The following information the district maintains about a personally identifiable student may be disclosed by the district to the school community through, for example, district publications, or to any person without first obtaining written consent from a parent or eligible student:
Student's name; date and place of birth; parents' names; grade level; enrollment status (e.g., full-time or part-time); student identification number; user identification or other unique personal identifier used by the student for the purposes of accessing or communicating in electronic systems as long as that information alone cannot be used to access protected educational records; participation in district-sponsored or district-recognized activities and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; athletic performance data; dates of attendance; degrees, honors and awards received; artwork or course work displayed by the district; schools or school districts previously attended; and photographs, videotapes, digital images and recorded sound unless such records would be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy.
Limited Directory Information – In addition to general directory information, the following information the district maintains about a personally identifiable student may be disclosed to: parent groups or booster clubs that are recognized by the Board and are created solely to work with the district, its staff, students and parents and to raise funds for district activities; parents of other students enrolled in the same school as the student whose information is released; students enrolled in the same school as the student whose information is released; governmental entities including, but not limited to, law enforcement, the juvenile office and the Children's Division (CD) of the Department of Social Services:
- The student's address, telephone number and e-mail address and the parents' addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.
Opt-Out Procedures
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 above, they must notify the district in writing within ten (10) days of receiving this handbook. Pursuant to federal law, military recruiters and institutions of higher education may request and receive the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all high school students, unless their parents or guardians notify the school not to release this information. Please notify the district if you do not want this information released.
Law Enforcement Access
The district may report or disclose education records to law enforcement and juvenile justice authorities if the disclosure concerns law enforcement's or juvenile justice authorities' ability to effectively serve, prior to adjudication, the student whose records are released. The officials and authorities to whom such information is disclosed must comply with applicable restrictions set forth in federal law.
If the district reports a crime committed by a student with a disability as defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the district will transmit copies of the special education and disciplinary records to the authorities to whom the district reported the crime as allowed by law.
Law enforcement officials also have access to directory information and may obtain access to student education records in emergency situations as allowed by law. Otherwise, law enforcement officials must obtain a subpoena or consent from the parent or eligible student before a student's education records will be disclosed.
Children's Division Access
The district may disclose education records to representatives of the CD when reporting child abuse and neglect in accordance with law. Once the CD obtains custody of a student, CD representatives may also have access to education records in accordance with law. CD representatives may also have access to directory information and may obtain access to student education records in emergency situations, as allowed by law.
Military and Higher Education Access
The district will disclose the names, addresses and telephone numbers of secondary school students to military recruiters or institutions of higher education as required by law. However, if a parent, or a secondary school student who is at least 18, submits a written request, the district will not release the information without first obtaining written consent from the parent or the student. The district will notify parents, and secondary school students who are at least 18, that they may opt out of these disclosures.
Additional information can be found in the Parent and Student Handbook