Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA RIGHTS

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.  Here is a quick summary of those rights – the full "Notification of Rights under FERPA" is available as a pdf:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day GLPS receives a request for access.
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.
3. 'The right to provide written consent before GLPS discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by GLPS to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:
        Student Privacy Policy Office
        U.S. Department of Education
        400 Maryland Avenue, SW
        Washington, DC  20202

Notification of Rights under FERPA

Directory Information at GLPS

The Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law, requires that Grand Ledge Public Schools (GLPS), with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child's educational records.  However, GLPS may disclose appropriately designated "directory information" without written consent, unless you have advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District procedures.  The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the Grand Ledge Public Schools to include this type of information from your child's education records in certain school publications.  Examples include:

·   A playbill, showing your student's role in a drama production;

·   Graduation Programs;

·   Yearbooks;

·   Honor roll or other recognition lists;

·   Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members

Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent's prior written consent.  Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks.  

In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with the following information - names, addresses and telephone listings - unless parents have advised the district they do not want their student's information disclosed without their prior written consent. Parents may advise the district using this form.  [1]

You may file a written request by September 30 of each school year to request that directory information not be published about your child.  The written request may be sent directly to your child's school, or to the district office at the following address:

Grand Ledge Public Schools
ATTN: FERPA
220 Lamson Street
Grand Ledge, MI  48837 

Grand Ledge Public Schools has designated the following information as “directory information”: 

Form to make Written Request for Directory Information to Not Be Published

[1] These laws are Section 9528 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 7908) and 10 U.S.C. §503(c)