Annual Notices

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are 18 years of age or older (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. These rights are the following:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day the “School” receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal [or appropriate school official] a written request that identifies the records they wish to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the School to amend a record should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they wish to be 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 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.
3. The right to provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure 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) or a person serving on the school board. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the school who performs an institutional service of function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist; a parent or student volunteering to serve on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or a parent, student, or other volunteer 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 education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the Godwin Heights Public Schools to comply with the requirements of FERPA.             

The name and address of the office that administers FERPA follows:

Family Policy Compliance Office U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202

As part of the district’s pest management program, pesticides are occasionally applied. You have the right to be informed prior to any pesticide application in the school buildings or grounds.

In certain emergencies, pesticides may be applied without prior notice. If you have any questions, please contact our facilities department at 616.252.2083.

Godwin Heights Public Schools is committed to helping our student families who are experiencing homelessness through the McKinney-Vento grant. If you need assistance or would like more information, please contact our district homeless liaison, Rashida Mitchner at 616.252.2070 extension 3104.

Need help?

For housing help in Kent County, call 616.454.5840.

For youth shelter at The Bridge, call 616.451.3001

Are you living in a shelter, a car, a park, an abandoned building, a campground, a motel, a bus or train station, or doubled up with other people or family members due to loss of housing or economic hardship?

Children have the right to:

• Receive a free public education.
• Enroll in school immediately, even if reasonable time is needed to produce lacking documents that are normally required for registration
• Enroll in the local school or continue at their school of origin, if feasible and determined to be in the best interest of the child.
• Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if requested.
• Receive educational services comparable to other children, according to their needs.

The decision to close school is made by administrative staff with the safety of our students in mind. Adverse weather conditions or other emergency situations may make it necessary to cancel school. Notice of school cancelations will be communicated via the following methods:

1. Our automated alert robocalling system,
2. local radio and television stations, and
3. the district website: www.godwinschools.org.

The Godwin Heights Public Schools has in its possession a number of records for students who were residing in Kent County and referred for and/or receiving special education programs and/or services prior to 2012. These special education services may have included testing to determine special education eligibility and resulting programs and services as determined by school-based special education teams, including parents. This notice does not apply to students currently receiving special education services in the Godwin Heights Public Schools district. Districts must retain certain information for seven (7) years after the student moves away or is no longer eligible for special education services. The district no longer needs information contained in special education files on students prior to 2012 and intends to destroy these special education records on January 16, 2020, which is more than 30 days from the date of this notice. This notice applies to anyone who may have been a student in the Godwin Heights Public Schools system who is now 18 years of age or older and was evaluated for, or received, special education programs and services, but is no longer eligible for those services. This notice also applies to you if you are the parent or guardian of a student who received special education services from this district prior to 2012, and your child is no longer eligible for special education services and will not be 18 years of age until after January 16, 2020.

If this notice applies to you and you have a desire to obtain a copy of your special education records prior to their destruction, please call the Godwin Heights Public Schools Special Education office at 616.252.2090 ext. 1100.