An Administrator's Guide to California Private School Law

Chapter 14 – Pupil Records

1. M ANDATORY P ERMANENT R ECORDS a. Description Of Records

Private schools are required to retain mandatory permanent pupil records. 2098 The California Code of Regulations defines a “mandatory permanent record” as a record which “schools” have been “directed to compile by California statute authorization or authorized administrative directive.” 2099 A mandatory permanent record includes:  The legal name of the pupil;  Date of birth;  Method of verification of birth date;

 Sex of pupil;  Place of birth;

 Name and address of parent of minor pupil, including address of minor pupil if different from parent and annual verification of the name and address of the parent and the residence of the pupil;  Entering and leaving date of each school year and for any summer session or other extra session;  Subjects taken during each year, half-year, summer session, or quarter;  If marks or credits are given, the mark or number of credits toward graduation allowed for work taken;  Verification of or exemption from required immunizations;  Date of high school graduation or equivalent. 2100

Schools may, but need not, maintain a copy of the child’s birth certificate. They must simply note the method for verifying the child’s birth date.

LCW Practice Advisor

b. Period Of Retention A school must keep mandatory permanent records “indefinitely.” 2101

2. M ANDATORY I NTERIM R ECORDS a. Description Of Records

Mandatory interim pupil records are records which “schools” are “required to compile and maintain for stipulated periods of time and are then destroyed as per California statute or regulation.” 2102 These records include:

 A log or record identifying those persons (except authorized school personnel) or organizations requesting or receiving information from the record;

An Administrator’s Guide to California Private School Law ©2019 Liebert Cassidy Whitmore 506