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Committee refines student-records policy; counsel recommends website notices and cross-references to FURPA and Education Law 2‑D
Summary
The committee revised student-records text to reflect Family Educational Rights (FURPA as discussed) and New York Education Law 2‑D distinctions, agreed to post complaint and breach guidance on the district website, and debated directory information release limits and an optional line about school addresses for homeless families.
The committee reviewed updates to the student-records policy and related exhibits, following a July NISBA update and legal synthesis by counsel.
Miss Harvey, the district’s legal counsel, recommended removing standalone notes and embedding required language. Counsel clarified that Family Educational Rights (referred to in the meeting as FURPA) and New York State Education Law 2‑D impose different requirements: some notices are required by federal law and others by state law. The committee agreed to reference both in the header language and to keep the policy text focused while directing parents to the district website for practical, user-facing guidance.
Members also discussed directory information and who may receive it. Staff noted a separate district directory-information policy (5500.1) and suggested pulling specific release language into the notice or cross-referencing the directory policy so parents understand how directory fields may be shared. On a separate point, committee members debated an optional sentence allowing a parent or guardian to designate the school’s address for directory purposes for homeless students; several members said including the sentence could inadvertently identify homelessness and recommended leaving it out of the policy and instead handling it through practice and liaisons.
Next steps: counsel will produce a clean policy text that references FURPA and Education Law 2‑D and will work with technology and communications staff to confirm where breach and complaint procedures will be posted; staff will reconcile cross-references including Policy 5500.1.
