Use by Board Personnel

Use by Employees of the Board

School division personnel who need the information to deal with the particular student, such as the classroom teacher, the principal, the school secretary and teacher aide, may have access to the files if board of education (board) policy provides for them to do so. In addition, personnel such as consultants, central office administrators, and in some limited circumstances perhaps even volunteers, may also require access to at least some of the information.

Use of student records is controlled by board policy. A board can restrict the use of student files or can require that certain steps be taken by anyone who accesses any file on a student.

Only those persons needing the information for educational purposes can access the files. Idle curiosity or personal issues are not purposes for which the information was gathered.

Parents Cannot Restrict Use

Parents do not have the right to restrict the flow of information within the school division as long as the board collects and uses the information in compliance with LAFOIP.

Reports from Outside Agencies

Unless reports from outside agencies are provided subject to specific conditions that they can only be shared with specific individuals they can be shared with board employees who require the information for their jobs.

Use by Board Members

A board member does not have the right to access a student record unless access is specifically required for the board member to perform one’s duties. It is unlikely that board members would require access to student records unless a question relating to a student came to the board table or a committee.

Board members may be approached by members of the public with regard to public discussion. Board members should not be given access to personal information about a student unless the board member requires it in order to perform some particular aspect of his or her duties as a board member.