Meriden Public Schools

Student Records

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. §1232g, et seq., affords parents and eligible students certain rights with respect to the student's education records. They are:

  • The right to inspect and review the student's education records within forty-five (45) days of the day the Meriden Public Schools receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal (or appropriate school official) a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The principal (or appropriate school official) will make arrangements for access and notify the parents or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
  • The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the parents or eligible student believe are inaccurate or misleading, or otherwise violates the student's privacy rights. Parents or eligible students may ask the school to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate, misleading or violates a student's privacy rights. Parents or an eligible student should write the school principal (or appropriate school official), clearly identifying the part of the record the parents or eligible student want changed and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading, or otherwise violates the student's privacy rights. If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parents or eligible student, the school will notify the parents 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 parents 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 education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to a school official with legitimate interests. A school official is a person employed by the Meriden Public Schools 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 Education; a person or company with whom the Meriden Public Schools has contracted 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 grievance 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. The Meriden Public Schools will disclose a student's education record without consent to officials of another public school district, public charter school or private school in which the student seeks or intends to enroll.
  • The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the Meriden Public Schools to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605

Unless notified by a parent or eligible student to the contrary within two weeks of the date of this notice, the Meriden Public Schools will be permitted to disclose "Directory Information" concerning a student. Directory Information means information contained in an education record of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. It includes, but is not limited to, the parent's name and/or e-mail address, the student's name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, photographic and/or video images, date and place of birth, major field(s) of study, grade level, participation in school-sponsored activities or athletics, weight and height (if the student is a member of an athletic team), dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended, and the name of the institution of higher education student will attend upon graduation. An objection to the disclosure of directory information shall be good for only one year. The Meriden Public Schools is legally obligated to provide military recruiters, upon request, with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of secondary school students, unless a parent or eligible student objects to such disclosure in writing. In all other circumstances, information designated as directory information will not be released when requested by a third party unless the release of such information is determined by the administration to be in the educational interest of the Meriden Public Schools and is consistent with its obligations under both state and federal law.