Federal Notices

NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS UNDER FERPA FOR ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS

Williamson County Schools (WCS), in accordance with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), affords parents, guardians, and students who are eighteen (18) years of age or older, certain rights with respect to the student’s education records maintained by WCS. FERPA gives custodial and noncustodial parents alike certain rights with respect to their children’s education records, unless a school is provided with evidence that there is a court order that specifically provides to the contrary.

These rights are:

1.  The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day WCS receives a request for access. Parents and eligible students who wish to inspect their child’s or their educational records should submit to the school principal (or appropriate school official) a written request that identifies the records they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

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 and/or T.C.A. § 49-1-701, et seq. and/or T.C.A. § 10-7-504. Parents or eligible students who wish to ask WCS to amend an educational record should write to the principal and clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify why it should be changed.

If WCS decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, WCS will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3.  The right to provide written consent before WCS discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA and T.C.A. § 49-1-701, et seq. authorize disclosure without consent.

One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A WCS official is a person employed by WCS as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member. A WCS official also may include a contractor outside of WCS who performs an institutional service or function for which WCS would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of WCS with respect to the use and maintenance of personally identifiable information from educational records, such as: an attorney, auditor, medical consultant or therapist; or other contractor or volunteer assisting another WCS official in performing his or her tasks.

A WCS official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, WCS discloses education records without consent to officials of another public school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll or is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes of the student’s enrollment or transfer.

4.  The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by WCS to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Officer

U.S. Department of Education 

400 Maryland Avenue, SW 

Washington, DC 20202

 

WCS must, with certain exceptions, obtain a parent’s written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from a student’s education records.

Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to some outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. Information which is typically contained in yearbooks, graduation programs, honor rolls, and playbills generally is not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released and can be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. Such outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks or photograph class pictures.

These contracted vendors will be provided students’ primary mailing addresses and/or parents’/guardians/ electronic mailing addresses and/or phone numbers by WCS unless the parent or guardian submits written notice of opt out as described below. WCS may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent. Directory information items which can be published without consent include: name, grade level, name of the most recent school attended and the date (years) of that attendance, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, recognitions and awards received, and other similar information that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed, such as a photograph.

In addition, federal laws require WCS, because it receives 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 WCS that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent.

If you do not want this information released, you must send written notice to your child’s school within 30 days of the first day of the academic school year. If such written notice is given for a student, then WCS will not share any directory information for that student with any outside entity.

Amendment: The Uninterrupted Scholars Act amends FERPA to provide those personnel of state or federal agencies with responsibility for the care and protection of children (i.e., Tennessee Department of Children’s Services) have the right to access a student’s educational records without parental consent. The amendment also provides that school districts are not required to give parents notice when a court orders the release of the educational records in court proceedings involving allegations of abuse and neglect. This means for students who are in state custody (including foster care) Tennessee Department of Children’s Services caseworkers may now access a student’s educational records without parental consent, whether the parental rights of the biological parents have been terminated, and school districts are not required to notify the parents of the child before releasing the information pursuant to a court order.

SECTION 504 NOTICE

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) are acts which prohibit discrimination against persons with a disability in any program receiving federal assistance, among others. Both acts define a person with a disability as anyone who:

• has a mental or physical impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities (examples of major life activities include caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working);
• has a record of such impairment;
• is regarded as having such an impairment or has had a record of such an impairment.

In order to fulfill its obligations under Section 504 and the ADA, Williamson County Schools recognizes a responsibility to avoid discrimination in policies and practices regarding its personnel and students. No discrimination against any person on the basis of a disability will knowingly be permitted in any of the programs or practices in the school system.

The school district has specific responsibilities under both acts, which include the responsibility to evaluate and determine if the child is eligible under Section 504 and/or ADA, and to then afford access to appropriate educational accommodations.

For further information about a student, contact Whitney Kovach, 504 Coordinator at 615-472-4000.  

For further information about an employee, contact Vickie Hall, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources at 615-4056.

RIGHTS OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES AND PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Parents may access information about child advocacy groups and information on how to contact the Tennessee Department of Education for information on student rights and services from the following agencies:

Tennessee Department of Education Legal Services Division, 710 James Robertson Parkway, Andrew Johnson Tower, 5th floor, Nashville, TN 37243-0380, 615-741-2851, Fax: 615-253-5567 or 615-532-9412.

Williamson County Schools Student Support Services, 1320 West Main Street, Franklin, TN 37064, 615-472-4130, Fax: 615-472-5670.

CHILD ADVOCACY GROUPS CONTACT INFORMATION

In addition to the state and local resources available to parents and children, there are many agencies and organizations that offer support, information, training, and help in advocating for persons with disabilities in Tennessee. A few of these organizations are listed below:

The ARC of Williamson County, 129 W. Fowlkes Street, Suite 151, Franklin, TN 37064, 615-790-5815, Fax: (615) 790-5891, Web: https://thearcwc.org/

Support and Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP), 712 Professional Plaza, Greeneville, TN 37745, 615-463-2310, Web: http://www.tnstep.org

Disability Rights Tennessee, 2 International Plaza, Suite 825, Nashville, TN 37217, Phone: 615-298-1080, Toll free: 1-800-342-1660, email: GetHelp@disabilityrightstn.org. Web: https://www.disabilityrightstn.org/

Tennessee Voices for Children, 1315 8th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203, 615-269-7751, Fax: 615-269-8914, TN Toll Free: 800-670-9882, TVC@tnvoices.org, Web: https://tnvoices.org/

These are a few of the organizations available to help with information, training, and advocacy. This information is provided as a service to individuals seeking additional avenues for help and information. The Department of Education and Williamson County Schools do not intend this as an endorsement or recommendation for any individual organization or service represented in this list.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY SCHOOLS STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

Williamson County Schools in its employment of personnel and in its educational activities with students does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability or any other federal or state protected basis. Employees of Williamson County Schools are appointed as coordinators of the various activities ensuring compliance with federal laws and regulations including the U.S. Department of Education regulations implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Vocational Education Programs Guidelines for Eliminating Discrimination and Denial of Services on the Basis of Race, Color, and National Origin, Sex and Handicap, and U.S. Department of Justice regulations implementing Title II of the American Disabilities Act of 1990.

Employees include Title VI & ADA Coordinator Vickie Hall, Title IX Coordinator Jacob Crossno, IDEA & Title II Coordinator Maria Griego. Contact them at: 1320 West Main Street, Franklin, TN 37064, 615-472-4000. Individuals who need assistance or have a complaint should contact the above-listed individuals.

Williamson County Schools provides access to patriotic societies per the terms of TCA §49-6-305.

TEACHER INFORMATION

Parents have the right to request information regarding the professional qualifications of the student’s classroom teachers and any paraprofessionals providing support to the child. Parents must be provided, upon request, state qualifications and license criteria for teachers and paraprofessionals. For more information, contact the Human Resources Department at 615-472-4050.

HOMELESS EDUCATION

You qualify for consideration under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act if any of the following apply: if you live in a shelter, motel, vehicle, campground, abandoned building or trailer, or other inadequate accommodations or if you live with friends or relatives, because of the inability to afford adequate housing. If any of these apply, you may be entitled to all services, rights and protection provided under this law.

If qualified, your children have the right to attend a school no matter where you live or how long you have lived there, continue in the school last attended before becoming homeless (if that is your choice and it is feasible) and receive transportation to the school last attended prior to becoming homeless if requested. Students, if qualified, are also allowed to enroll in a school without a permanent address, without school records or without proof of immunization. These will be obtained by school personnel. For further information, contact Juli Oyer, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools at 615-472-4000.