Parents
Parents' Bill of Rights
- Pursuant to State and federal law, a parent has the right to the following:
- To direct the education and care of his or her child
- To direct the upbringing and moral or religious training of his or her child
- 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
- 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
- To make health care decisions for his or her child, unless otherwise provided by law
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- The right to review statewide standardized assessment results as part of the State report card.
- 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.
- The right to inspect and purchase public school unit textbooks and other supplementary instructional materials, when available.
- The right to access information relating to board policies for promotion or retention, including high school graduation requirements.
- 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.
- The right to access information relating to the State public education system, State standards, report card requirements, attendance requirements, and textbook requirements.
- The right to participate in any parent-teacher organizations.
- The right to be informed of, and to opt-in to, any survey of protected information under G.S. 115C-76.65.
- 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.
- The right to review all available records of materials their child has borrowed from a school library.
Additional Resources