MECHS complies with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The act provides that parents, guardians or eligible students have the right to:
Inspect and review the student’s educational records within 45 days of the day the school receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school Superintendent a written request that identifies the records they wish to inspect. The school Superintendent or designee will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
Request the amendment of the student’s educational records to ensure that they are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy or other rights. Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the school to amend a record should write the school Superintendent, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the school will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them 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.
Consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that Federal Law authorizes without consent.
File with the U.S. Department of Education a complaint concerning alleged failures by this school or the MECHS to comply with FERPA.
Parents or eligible students who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:
Family Policy Compliance Office U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20202-5929
We are required to apprise parents of the types of information that may be given out by the school system as “directory information”.
Public notice is hereby given by MECHS, pursuant to the Family Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. Section 1232g (a) (5) (b), that the following information pertaining to students enrolled in MECHS may be given upon request to law enforcement agencies, PTSO and school related groups, U.S. Armed Forces recruitment agencies, schools and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation, outside organizations such as school photographer, yearbook publisher, class ring manufacturer, and graduation supply provider: name, address, telephone number, electronic mail address, date and place of birth, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height if a member of an athletic team, dates of attendance, grade level, awards received, the most recent previous educational institution attended, and other similar information. Student names may be obtained for athletic programs as well as a tentative list of graduating seniors for media publication.
Parents of students under eighteen (18) years of age or a student eighteen (18) years of age or older objecting to the release of this information should notify:
Dr. Wayne Lovell, Superintendent, 1963 Tom Bell Rd., Cleveland, GA 30528
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, MECHS will disclose a student’s personally identifiable information (PII) without consent to school officials with legitimate
educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the school as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law
enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the school board; a person with whom the school has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using its own employees or officials
(such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, volunteer, or other party to whom the school has outsourced services, such as electronic data storage; or a parent or student serving on an official
committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official
needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. School officials remain under the school’s control with regard to the use and maintenance of PII,
which may be used only for the purpose for which disclosure was made, and cannot be released to other parties without authorization.
Upon request, MECHS will disclose educational records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
