Parents Rights Policy
This policy is adopted in accordance with the requirements of HB 1178 enacted by the Georgia General Assembly during the 2022 legislative session.
Review of Student’s Records
In accordance with OCGA §20-2-786, parents shall be allowed to review all records relating to their minor child, including but not limited to current grade reports and attendance records.
Parents wishing to review their child’s records should submit a written request to the School Director or his/her designee, identifying the specific records being requested for review. Upon receipt of a request under this policy, the School Director or his/her designee shall locate the identified records in existence and notify the parent of the time and place where the records may be reviewed.
To the extent practicable, identified records shall be produced for review within three (3) business days of receiving a written request. In any instance where some or all of the requested records are not available within three (3) business days, the School shall make available within that period the records that are available. For all other records, the School Director or his/her designee shall, within three (3) business days, provide a description of the identified records in existence and a timeline for when the information will be available for inspection. All remaining identified records shall be produced for review as soon as practicable but in no case more than thirty (30) days after receipt of the request.
Records produced for review under this policy may not be altered or removed from the location identified for reviewing records, and in no case shall records be removed from school property.
Pursuant to this policy, a parent may file an appeal, if the School Director or his/her designee fails to provide existing responsive information within thirty (30) days from the date of the request.
Review of Instructional Materials
Pursuant to OCGA §20-2-786, parents have a right to review all instructional materials intended for use in the classroom of their minor child. In accordance with state law, parents may exercise this right during the review period(s) each year.
Under this policy, the School Director shall ensure that all instructional materials intended for use in the school’s classrooms in each grading period are made available for parent review during the review period. During this time, instructional materials may be made available for review on the School’s website or at the School upon written request by a parent.
Objection to Instructional Material
The School Director shall appoint at least one person to receive parent objections to instructional materials under this policy. All objections must be in writing and submitted during the review period. A properly filed objection must include the following information:
- Student’s name
- Parent’s name and contact information
- Teacher’s name
- Clearly identify the instructional material to which the parent is objecting
- Briefly describe the nature of the objection
Upon receipt of an objection, the School Director shall review the objection and provide a response, in writing, within five (5) business days.
Only objections filed, in writing, by the parent of a student in the identified classroom will be reviewed and receive a response. Pursuant to this policy, a parent may file an appeal of the School Director’s decision to a properly submitted objection or if a response has not been provided within five (5) business days.
Sex Education
During the review period, a parent may submit a written objection to the School Director, requesting that their child be excluded from the portion of any class in which sex education or AIDS prevention education is taught as part of a comprehensive health program pursuant to state law.
Photo & Video Recordings
Within the first two weeks of each school year, a parent may submit a written notice to the School Director that photographs or video or voice recordings of his or her child are not permitted. Such notice shall be submitted annually and will remain in effect for the duration of the school year or until the parent provides a written retraction. Provided however, this prohibition on recordings shall not apply for recordings made pursuant to applicable public safety and security exceptions.
Appeals
Level I
An appeal under this policy may be filed, in writing, with the Chair of the Governing Board.
To the extent practicable, the Chair must place the appeal on the agenda of the next public meeting. If it is too late to add to the next meeting’s agenda, it must be included on the agenda for the subsequent meeting.
Level II
A parent aggrieved by the decision of the Governing Board may appeal to the State Board of Education.
Definitions:
For the purposes of this policy, the following definitions shall apply.
“Instructional Material” means instructional materials and content identified by the State Board of Education that constitutes the School Director source of study for a state funded course to be used in the various grades in the public schools of this state, including the elementary grades and high school grades, which includes but is not limited to systematically designed material in any medium, including digital instructional materials and content and any computer hardware, software, and technical equipment necessary to support such instructional materials and content. The term includes locally approved instructional materials and content that constitute the School Director source of study for a state funded course, not including supplementary or ancillary material, which is adopted by a local board of education or used by a local school system. Supplementary or ancillary material includes, but is not limited to, articles, online simulations, worksheets, novels, biographies, speeches, videos, music, and similar resources in any medium, including both physical or digital.
“Review Period” means the first two weeks of each grading period of the school year.
“Sex education/AIDS education” shall have the same meaning as defined in State Board of Education Rule 160-4-2-.12.
The School Director shall develop procedures to implement this policy. A copy of this policy shall be posted on the School’s website.
Nothing in this policy shall affect the rights provided under federal law, including but not limited to the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA).
Authority: OCGA §20-2-143, §20-2-768, §20-2-1010, §20-2-2017; BOE Rule 160-4-2-.