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Mandatory Notification of Student & Parent Rights

Each year the Emanuel County Board of Education is required to give notice of the various rights accorded to parents and students over eighteen years of age (“eligible students”) pursuant to the federal statute, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Parents and eligible students have a right to be notified of certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. In accordance with FERPA, you are notified of the following

  • Right to Inspect

You, as a parent or eligible student, have the right to review and inspect substantially all of the student’s education records maintained by or at a school which your child attends in the Emanuel County School System within forty-five (45) days of the day the school receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal or other appropriate school official a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. School officials will make arrangements for access and notify the parents or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

  • Right to Consent Disclosures

You have the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable data contained in the student’s educational records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. The intent of the Emanuel County School System is to limit the disclosure of personally identifiable educational information contained in your educational records to those instances when prior written consent has been given to the disclosure, as an item of directory information of which you have not refused to permit disclosure, and/or under the provisions of FERPA which allows disclosure without prior written consent.

One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interest.  A school official is a person employed by the school as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the school board; a person or company with whom the school has contacted 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 school compliance 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 an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.  Understand that, upon request, the school discloses educational records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

  • Right to Request Amendments

To have corrected any parts of an educational record that is believed to be inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of your rights is a right. A parent or eligible student who wishes to amend or correct a record that he or she believes to be inaccurate should: (1) write the school principal or appropriate school official, (2) clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and (3) specify why it is inaccurate.  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 advises them of their right to a hearing regarding a request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedure will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

  • Right to Complain

You have the right to file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-4605.

  • Right to Obtain Policy

You have the right to obtain a copy of the written institutional policy adopted by this institution in compliance with FERPA. 

A copy may be obtained in person or by mail from the Emanuel County Board of Education, 201 North Main Street, Swainsboro, Georgia 30401.