San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education
Board Policy 5125
Student Records
This Board Policy applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.
The Governing Board recognizes the importance of keeping accurate, comprehensive student records as required by law. The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the District’s administrative regulation and school site procedures for maintaining the confidentiality of student records are consistent with state and federal law. (20 USC 1232g, 34 CFR 99.1-99.8, EC 49069, 5 CCR 430-433)
The Superintendent or designee shall establish administrative regulations governing the identification, retention, and security of student records. These regulations shall ensure the rights of authorized persons to have timely access to student records and shall protect students and their families from invasion of privacy.
The Superintendent or designee shall designate a certificated employee to serve as custodian of records with responsibility for student records at the District level. At each school, the principal or a certificated employee shall be designated as custodian of records for students enrolled at that school. The custodian of records shall be responsible for implementing Board policy and administrative regulation regarding student records. (5 CCR 431)
The District shall maintain in writing District policies and procedures for gathering and handling sensitive student information All appropriate personnel shall receive training regarding District policies and procedures for gathering and handling sensitive student information.
No information or documents regarding the citizenship or immigration status of students or their family members shall be collected, except as required by state or federal law or as required to administer a state or federally supported educational program. The Superintendent or designee shall not disclose student records to a person, agency, or organization for immigration enforcement purposes without parental consent, a court order, or a judicial subpoena. If a District employee receives such a request, he/she shall immediately report the request to the Superintendent. The Superintendent shall report the request to the Board in a timely manner that ensures the confidentiality and privacy of any potentially identifying information. (Education Code 234.7)
The Superintendent or designee shall not allow school resources or data to be used to create a list, registry, or database based on students’ race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, or religious belief, practice, or affiliation, nor shall he/she/they disclose student information to federal government authorities for the purpose of compiling such a list, registry, or database for purposes of immigration enforcement. Such information may only be compiled or exchanged with other local, state, or federal agencies if the information is aggregated and is not personally identifiable. (Government Code 8310.3)
Information That Could Indicate Immigration Status
If the District possesses information that could indicate immigration status, citizenship status, or national origin information, the District shall not use the acquired information to discriminate against any students or families or bar children from enrolling in or attending school.
If parents or guardians choose not to provide information that could indicate their or their children’s immigration status, citizenship status, or national origin information, the District shall not use such actions as a basis to discriminate against any students or families or bar children from enrolling or attending school.
Inquiries Regarding Immigration Status, Citizenship Status, and National Origin Information
District personnel shall not inquire specifically about a student’s citizenship or immigration status or the citizenship or immigration status of a student’s parents or guardians; nor shall personnel seek or require, to the exclusion of other permissible documentation or information, documentation or information that may indicate a student’s immigration status, such as a green card, voter registration, a passport, or citizenship papers. Where any law contemplates submission of national origin related information to satisfy the requirements of a special program, District personnel shall solicit that documentation or information separately from the school enrollment process.
Where permitted by law, the Enrollment Center shall enumerate alternative means to establish residency, age, or other eligibility criteria for enrollment or programs, and those alternative means shall include among them documentation or information that are available to persons regardless of immigration status, citizenship status, or national origin, and that do not reveal information related to citizenship or immigration status. Where residency, age, and other eligibility criteria for purposes of enrollment or any program may be established by alternative documents or information permitted by law or policy, the District procedures and forms shall describe to the applicant, and accommodate, all alternatives specified in law and all alternatives authorized under District policy.
Inquiries About Social Security Numbers or Cards
The District shall not solicit or collect entire Social Security numbers or cards or the last four digits of social security numbers from pupils or their parents or guardians unless otherwise required to do so by state or federal law. (Education Code 49076.7(b))
The District shall solicit and collect the last four digits of an adult household member’s Social Security number only if required to establish eligibility for federal benefit programs, or by state or federal law. (Education Code 49076.7) When collecting the last four digits of an adult household member’s Social Security number to establish eligibility for a federal benefit program, the District shall explain the limited purpose for which this information is collected, and clarify that a failure to provide this information will not bar the student from enrolling in or attending the school.
The District shall treat all students equitably in the receipt of all school services, including, but, not limited to, the gathering of student and family information for the free and reduced lunch program, transportation and educational instruction.
Contract for Digital Storage, Management, and Retrieval of Student Records
The Superintendent or designee may enter into a contract with a third party for the digital storage, management, and retrieval of student records and/or to authorize a third party provider of digital software to access, store, and use student records, provided that the contract meets the requirements of Education Code 49073.1 and other applicable state and federal laws.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
234.7 Student protections relating to immigration and citizenship status
17604 Contracts
48201 Student records for transfer students who have been suspended/expelled
48853.5 Foster youth; placement, immunizations
48902 Notification of law enforcement of specified violations
48904-48904.3 Withholding grades, diplomas, or transcripts
48918 Rules governing expulsion procedures
48980 Parental notifications
48985 Notices in parent/guardian’s primary language
49060-49079 Student records
49091.14 Parental review of curriculum
51747 Independent study
56041.5 Rights of students with disabilities
56050 Surrogate parents
56055 Foster parents
69432.9 Cal Grant program; notification of grade point average
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE
22580-22582 Digital privacy
22584-22585 Student Online Personal Information Protection Act
CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE
1985.3 Subpoena duces tecum
FAMILY CODE
3025 Access to records by noncustodial parents
6552 Caregiver’s authorization affidavit
GOVERNMENT CODE
6252-6260 Inspection of public records
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
120440 Immunizations; disclosure of information
PENAL CODE
245 Assault with deadly weapon
WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE
681 Truancy petitions
701 Juvenile court law
16010 Health and education records of a minor
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
430-438 Individual student records
16020-16027 Destruction of records of school Districts
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
1232g Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
1232h Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 26
152 Definition of dependent child
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42
11434a McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; definitions
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 16
Part 312 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 34
99.1-99.67 Family Educational Rights and Privacy
300.501 Opportunity to examine records for parents of student with disability
Management Resources:
FEDERAL REGISTER
Final Rule and Analysis of Comments and Changes, Family Educational Rights and Privacy, December 9, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 237, pages 74806-74855
NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION PUBLICATIONS
Data in the Cloud: A Legal and Policy Guide for School Boards on Student Data Privacy in the Cloud Computing Era, April 2014
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
Joint Guidance on the Application of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to Student Health Records, 2008
Balancing Student Privacy and School Safety: A Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act for Elementary and Secondary Schools, October 2007
WEB SITES
California Department of Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov
National School Boards Association: http://www.nsba.org
U.S. Department of Education, Family Policy Compliance, http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco