FILE: CG
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS
School district records are public records and are available for inspection by any person at reasonable times during working hours. However, certain school documents, such as student school health records, student report cards, supervisory reports on teachers, budget worksheets, and personnel folders are in the category of privileged information and are not public records. Access to or release of privileged information such as student or personnel records, shall be governed by appropriate regulations and procedures.
No copies of school district records shall be copied on school system equipment or duplicated at a cost to the system unless it is for official school business. No official records are to leave the school or district premises unless it is for official school business. There is no obligation to the school system to reproduce any school records except for appropriate official agencies. Copies of school district records will be made at the expense of the person making the request, unless specifically required by appropriate official agencies. Duplication of records classified as privileged information shall not be permitted.
Any person may request in writing, a time to see such public records at a mutual, agreeable time with the office of the Superintendent and such time and place will be mutually stipulated during normal working hours. Any request to view records shall clearly state the specific records desired.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of law or rules or regulations to the contrary, the Rapides Parish School Board, upon majority vote of the total School Board membership, shall have the right to examine any or all records of the school system.
PRESERVATION OF RECORDS
All persons and public bodies having custody or control of any public record, other than permanent records required by existing law to be kept for all time, shall exercise diligence and care in preserving the public record for the period or periods of time specified for such public records in formal records retention schedules developed and approved by the state archivist and director of the division of archives, records management, and history of the Department of State. However, in all instances in which a formal retention schedule has not been executed, such public records shall be preserved and maintained for a period of at least three (3) years from the date on which the public record was made. However, where copies of an original record exist, the original alone shall be kept; when only duplicate copies of a record exist, only one copy of the duplicate copies shall be required to be kept. Where an appropriate form of the microphotographic process has been utilized to record, file, and otherwise preserve such public records with microforms produced in compliance with statutory provisions, the microforms shall be deemed originals in themselves, and disposition of original documents which have been microphotographically preserved and of duplicates and other copies thereof shall proceed in accordance with state law.
All existing records or records hereafter accumulated by the School Board, which participates in federal programs or receive federal grants, may be destroyed after three (3) years from the date on which the records were made in those cases where this provision is not superseded by guidelines for the operative federal program or grant requiring longer retention periods for the records in question; provided that these records shall not be destroyed in any case where litigation with reference thereto is pending, or until the appropriate state or federal audits have been conducted.
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยงยง13:5112.1, 17:81, 17:93, 17:196, 17:230, 17:232, 17:415, 17:440, 44:1, 44:4, 44:31, 44:32, 44:36
Rapides Parish School Board