For Parents

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law which stipulates the maintenance and disclosure of students’ educational records in public schools. Every parent (or student who is 18 or older) has these rights under FERPA: to inspect and review their student’s educational records to request amendment of their student’s educational records – in order to correct inaccurate or misleading information to consent to the disclosure of personally identifiable information in the student’s educational records, except to the extent that disclosure is allowed by law without consent to obtain a copy of the district’s FERPA policy to register any complaints regarding the district’s FERPA procedures with the U.S. Department of Education. In compliance with federal regulations, the Holland Public School District has established the following guidelines concerning student records:

Each student’s records will be kept in a confidential file located at the student’s school office. The information in a student’s record file will be available for review only by the parents or legal guardian of a student, adult student (18 years or older), and those designated by federal law or district regulations. A parent, guardian or adult student has the right to request a change or addition to a student’s records and to either obtain a hearing with district officials or file a complaint with the U.S. Office of Education if not satisfied with the accuracy of the records or with the district’s compliance with the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act.

This serves as your HPS public notice to students and their parents of the district’s intent to make available, upon request, certain information known as “directory information.” The Board designates as student “directory information” the following: a student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, photograph, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, height and weight, if a member of an athletic team, dates of attendance, date of graduation, awards received, or any other information which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy, if disclosed. 

Parents, guardians, and adult students may refuse to allow the district to disclose any or all of such “directory information”. The district will not knowingly publish directory information of students in foster care. Parents, guardians and adult students may also request that the district does not release information to military recruiters without prior written consent. No liability shall attach to any member, officer or employee of this district specifically as a consequence of permitting access or furnishing student records in accordance with the school district’s policy and regulations.

Written requests to refuse disclosure of directory information, or to inform the district of a student in foster care, should be made with the secretary at the student’s school.

A school official is a person employed by the Board as an administrator, supervisor, teacher/instructor (including substitutes), or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); and a person serving on the Board. The Board further designates the following individuals and entities as “school officials” for the purpose of FERPA: persons or companies with whom the Board has contracted to perform a specific task (such as an attorney, auditor, insurance representative, or medical consultant); contractors, consultants, volunteers, or other parties to whom the Board has outsourced a service or function otherwise performed by the Board employees (e.g. a therapist, authorized information technology (IT) staff, and approved online educational service providers).

The above-identified outside parties must (a) perform institutional services or functions for which the Board would otherwise use its employees, (b) be under the direct control of the Board with respect to the use and maintenance of education records, and (c) be subject to the requirements of 34 C.F.R. 99.33(a) governing the use and re-disclosure of PII from education records.