A Reference Guide of the Bakersfield City School District

Access to Student Records by Parent or Legal GuardianA parent or legal guardian may inspect and review student’s records during regular school hours. Qualified personnelwill be available to interpret records. Access will be granted within five days following the date of the request. Anatural parent will not be restricted from student record access without an official judicial order.Release of RecordsExcept when disclosure without consent is authorized by law, a parent or legal guardian may grant a written consent forthe release of personally identifiable information contained in the student records. The recipient must be notified thatfurther transmission of records is prohibited. The consent notice shall be permanently kept with the student’s record file.Education Code 49075Access With and Without Written ConsentSchool officials and employees with legitimate educational interests, schools of intended enrollment, specified federaland state educational administrators, a county placing agency fulfilling court ordered case management responsibilitiesor assisting with enrollment of a student, and those who provide financial aid are entitled access to student recordswithout parental consent. “School officials and employees” include Governing Board members, instructional,supervisory, and administrative employees and a company, or ancillary person(s) employed by or under contract withthe district such as a school attorney, auditor, health or medical staff, therapist, special education service provider, orexpert witness (“Agency”). If a student participates in a program of an Agency under contract with the District, theDistrict may disclose relevant student records to this Agency when record access is necessary for the Agency to provideparticular services on behalf of the District. This release is in effect only for the period of time that the student isparticipating in the Agencies’ program. Adoption records shall not be released. Agency personnel to whom theinformation is released are trained and qualified to work with such information. All such recipients of the informationare advised that the records are confidential and may not be disclosed beyond the agency in whose program the child isparticipating unless the parent provides written consent.A “legitimate educational interest” is one held by officials or employees whose duties and responsibilities to the districtrequire that they have access to student records. Record access may also be obtained without parental consent inresponse to a lawfully issued subpoena or court order.Education Code 49061, 49076, 49077, 49078; 34 Code of Federal Regulation 99.5Release of Directory InformationThe school may, without prior consent, release certain “directory information” to the representatives of newsmedia, public or private nonprofit organizations, established parent-teacher groups, law enforcement, the Department ofHuman Services, and other persons or organizations entitled to the same by law. Directory information consists of thefollowing: student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, photograph, participation in officiallyrecognized activities and sports, weight and height of athletic team members, dates of attendance, degrees and awardsreceived, and most recent previous school attended. The district’s policy includes the release of directory informationto media when such information will produce a student commendation. Under no circumstances will directoryinformation be disclosed to a private profit-making entity other than employers, prospective employers, andrepresentatives of the news media. Directory information may be released unless the parent requests, in writing, thedistrict withhold such information.Education Code 49073, Title 20 United States Code 1123g and Title 34 Code of Federal Regulations 99.1-99.67Charge for RecordsThe school district charges 15 cents for each page copied for a parent.Education Code 49065Rights and ResponsibilitiesMaintenance of RecordsA log shall be maintained for each student’s record in the same office the records are stored. The log will list allpersons or organizations, excluding those not required by law to sign the log, requesting or receiving information fromthat record. Requests to access the log should be directed to the school principal.Education Code 4906427