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Parents

Parents

Parents' Bill of Rights

  1. Pursuant to State and federal law, a parent has the right to the following: 
    1. To direct the education and care of his or her child 
    2. To direct the upbringing and moral or religious training of his or her child 
    3. To enroll his or her child in a public or nonpublic school and any school choice option available to the parent for which the child is otherwise eligible 
    4. To access and review all education records relating to his or her child, as authorized by the Federal Educational Right and Privacy Act (“FERPA”), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g 
    5. To make health care decisions for his or her child, unless otherwise provided by law 
    6. To access and review all medical records of his or her child, as authorized by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), P.L. 104-191, as amended, except as follows: If an authorized investigator requests that information not be release to a parent because the parent is subject to an investigation of either (i) a crime committed against the child or (ii) an abuse and neglect complaint; or (iii) when otherwise prohibited by law. 
    7. To prohibit the creation sharing, or storage of a biometric scan of his or her child without the parent’s prior written consent, except as authorized pursuant to a court order or otherwise required by law 
    8. To prohibit the creation, sharing, or storage of his or her child’s blood or DNA without the parent’s prior written consent, unless otherwise authorized by law 
    9. To prohibit the creation by the State, or the school, of a video or voice recording of his or her child without the parent’s prior written consent, unless such record is made in connection with: (i) a court proceeding, (ii) an investigation into alleged neglect or abuse of the child, (iii) a safety demonstration, (iv) an academic or extracurricular activity, (v) classroom instruction, (vi) a photo identification card, (vii) security or surveillance of buildings, grounds, or school transportation. 
    10. To be promptly notified if the school, or any employee of the school, suspects that a criminal offense has been committed against his or her child, unless doing so would impede an investigation by law enforcement or a county welfare agency.
  2. Pursuant to G.S. 115C-76.25, a parent or legal guardian’s rights with regard to his or her child’s education include the following:
    1. The right to consent or withhold consent for participating in reproductive health and safety educational programs, consistent with the requirements of G.S. 115C-81.30.
    2. The right to seek a medical or religious exemption from immunization requirements consistent with the requirements of G.S. 130A-156 and G.S. 130A-157.
    3. The right to review statewide standardized assessment results as part of the State report card.
    4. The right to request an evaluation of their child for an academically or intellectually gifted program, or for identification as a child with a disability, as provided by State and federal law.
    5. The right to inspect and purchase public school unit textbooks and other supplementary instructional materials, when available.
    6. The right to access information relating to board policies for promotion or retention, including high school graduation requirements.
    7. The right to receive student report cards on a regular basis that clearly depict and grade the student's academic performance in each class or course, the student's conduct, and the student's attendance.
    8. The right to access information relating to the State public education system, State standards, report card requirements, attendance requirements, and textbook requirements.
    9. The right to participate in any parent-teacher organizations.
    10. The right to be informed of, and to opt-in to, any survey of protected information under G.S. 115C-76.65.
    11. The right to opt into certain data collection for their child, as provided in Part 5 of Article 7B and Article 29 of Chapter 115C the North Carolina General Statutes.
    12. The right to review all available records of materials their child has borrowed from a school library.


Additional Resources

High School Clubs, Fall 2023