FERPA Compliance & Student Privacy Statement

1. Rights Granted Under FERPA

Parents or eligible students have the following primary rights under FERPA:

• Right to Inspect: The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the school receives a written request for access.
• Right to Request Amendment: 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 privacy rights.
• Right to Consent: 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.

2. Directory Information Notice & Opt-Out

FERPA permits schools to disclose appropriately designated "Directory Information" without prior written parental consent, unless a parent or eligible student has advised the school to the contrary in writing. Directory Information may include: student name, campus location, participation in official activities, dates of attendance, honors and awards received, and grade level.

Parents or legal guardians who wish to opt out of the release of Directory Information must submit a written request to the school administration at the start of each academic school year.

3. Exceptions Where Consent Is Not Required

FERPA authorizes the disclosure of education records without consent under specific statutory conditions, including:

• School officials with legitimate educational interests (e.g., instructors, administrators, or support staff who need to review a record to fulfill their professional responsibility).
• Officials of another school or school system where the student seeks or intends to enroll.
• Compliance with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena.
• Appropriate parties in connection with a health or safety emergency.

4. Limitation of Administrative Liability

MKA Turkish School, its board members, administrators, teachers, and volunteers shall not be held liable for disclosures made in good faith under legal requirements, emergency safety circumstances, or inadvertent errors where reasonable administrative safeguards have been maintained.