401.5 - Employee Records

The school district will maintain personnel records on employees.  The records are important for the daily administration of the educational program, for implementing board policy, for budget and financial planning, and for meeting state and federal requirements.

The records will include, but not be limited to, records necessary for the daily administration of the school district, salary records, evaluations, application for employment, references, and other items needed to carry out board policy.  Employee personnel files are school district records and are considered confidential records and therefore are not generally open to public inspection or accessibility.  Only in certain limited instances, when the employee has given a signed consent, will employee personnel records be accessible to individuals other than the employee or authorized school officials.

Employees may have access to their personnel files, with the exception of letters of reference, and copy items from their personnel files at a time mutually agreed upon between the superintendent and the employee.  The school district may charge a reasonable fee for each copy made.  Employees, however, will not be allowed access to the employment references written on behalf of the employee.  Board members will generally only have access to an employee's file when it is necessary because of an employee related matter before the board.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to keep employees' personnel files current. Employee records requests should be submitted to the board secretary or their designee as the custodian of district records.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to develop administrative regulations for the implementation of this policy. 
 

NOTE:  This is not a mandatory policy but is a recommended one.  It reflects current state and federal laws protecting the confidentiality and retention of employee records.  Separate medical files is a requirement of the American with Disabilities Act.  For more detailed discussion of this issue, see IASB's Policy Primer, February 15, 2000.

Cross References

Approved May 16, 2022    Reviewed                        Revised    May 19, 2025