Swampscott Schools To Destroy Special Education Records

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott Public Schools is notifying former students and families of those who attended special education courses during the 2017-18 school year and prior that those records will be destroyed.

Any student or former student who has reached the age of 18 may review and/or receive these records by contacting the Student Service Office at 781-596-8800, extension 4381, to schedule an appointment.

Destruction of records will begin on Oct. 20.

According to federal law, parents and guardians lose their right to review or obtain these records when their child (the student) reaches 18 years of age or starts attending a postsecondary institution, whichever occurs first.

A parent of a child with a disability who is 18 years of age or older may retain parental rights, provided a court has appointed legal guardians to the parent. Upon review, a copy of any information contained in the record will be provided to the parent/guardian or eligible student.

Once an appointment is scheduled, the record will be held for review for ten days after the appointment date. If an appointment is not kept or if it is rescheduled, the file will be held for 10 days from the last scheduled appointment date.

If no student, parent, or guardian responds to this public notice, the school district will assume consent to destroy the entire record specific to the student.

In accordance with federal and state laws, special education records are maintained for up to seven years after the student exits the special education program. A permanent record of the student's name, address, phone number, grades, attendance record, and year completed is maintained for 60 years.

The purpose of destruction is to protect the student from improper and unauthorized disclosure of the confidential information contained within the file. Please note that certain records may be needed by the student, parent, or guardian for social security benefits or other purposes.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)