Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) grants parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) certain rights regarding the student’s education records. These rights are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s educational record within 45 days of the day the school receives a request for access. To request an inspection and review, parents or eligible students should submit a written request to the TNVA administrative office that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect.

2. The right to request an amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate. Parents or eligible students may ask TNVA to amend a record they believe is inaccurate. They should write TNVA administration, clearly identify the part of the record they want to be changed and specify why it is inaccurate. If TNVA decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, then TNVA 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 educational records, except to the extent that FERPA allows disclosure without consent.

One exception, which permits TNVA to disclose information without consent, is when TNVA discloses information to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed or contracted to provide serviced to or designated by the contractor to provide services to TNVA as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the Board of Directors of Union County Schools; a person or company with whom TNVA has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assassinating another school official in performing their tasks.

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record to fulfill their professional responsibility.

Upon request, the school discloses educational records without consent to officials of another school district in which the student seeks or intends to enroll.

3. The right to file a complaint with the US Department of Education concerning alleged failures by TNVA to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office US Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave., S.W.
Washington D.C. 20202-4605

4. FERPA requires that TNVA, with certain exceptions, obtain a parent’s or eligible student’s written consent before the disclose of personally identifiable information from a child’s educational records. However, TNVA may disclose “directory information” without written consent, unless you, the parent or eligible student, have advised TNVA in writing that you do not want all or part of the directory information disclosed. The method for objecting to the disclosure of directory information is specified below. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow TNVA to include the following information from education records in certain school publications or disclose it to certain parties. Examples can include:

a. Shipment of school materials to and from a student’s home

b. Entry of student enrollment information into a computer database for use by school officials

c. Honor roll or other recognition lists

d. School yearbook

Directory information, which is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. In addition, federal laws require the school to provide military recruiters, upon request, with three directory information categories – names, addresses, and telephone listings – unless parents or eligible students have advised the school in writing that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without prior written consent.

The school has designated that information self-reported to the K12 online directory may be provided without prior written consent. Changes to the K12 online directory can be updated regularly.

TNVA has designated the following information as directory information:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone Number
• Email Address
• Photo
• Honor Roll Status
• Grade Level Activities and Clubs
• Enrollment Dates/Attendance
• Awards

If there are certain items, the school has chosen to designate as directory information that you do not want to be disclosed from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, please send a School Email identifying the information you do not wish to be disclosed, your student’s name, and any edits to the TNVA office within the first ten days of enrollment.