PERSONNEL RECORDS
The school district shall 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 shall 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. However, employees 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 shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to keep employees’ personnel files current. The board secretary shall be the custodian of employee records.
Legal References: Iowa Code chs. 20; 21; 22; 91B (1999)
Clymer. City of Cedar Rapids, No 208/97 - 1705 (Iowa 1999)
Des Moines Independent Community School District v. Des Moines Register and Tribune Company 487 N.W. 2d 666 (Iowa 1992)
City of Dubuque v. Telegraph Herald, Inc., 297 N.W. 2d 523 (Iowa 1980)
Adopted: February 10, 1986
Reviewed: July 19, 2004
February, 2009
February 17, 2014
Revised: August 10, 1998
March 20, 2000
PERSONNEL RECORDS REGULATION
Personnel Records Content
1. Employee Personnel records may contain the following information:
2. Employee health and medical records shall be kept in a file separate from the employee’s personnel records. Health and medical records may contain, but are not limited to:
Applicant File Records Content
Records on applicants for positions with the school district shall be maintained in the central administration office. The records shall include, but not be limited to:
Records Access
Only authorized school officials shall have access to an employee’s records without the written consent of the employee. Authorized school officials may include, but not be limited to, the superintendent, building principal, or board secretary. In the case f a medical emergency, the school nurse or other first aid or safety personnel may have access to the employee’s health or medical file without the consent of the employee. Board members will generally only have access to an employee’s personnel file without the consent of the employee when necessary for the conducting of board business.
Confidential records include, but are not necessarily limited to, birth dates, addresses, gender, employment applications, performance evaluations and individual test scores.
Employee Record Retention
All employee records, except payroll and salary records, shall be maintained for a minimum of seven years after termination of employment with the district. Applicant records shall be maintained for a minimum of seven years after the position was filled. Payroll and salary records shall be maintained for a minimum of three years after payment.
Adopted: August 10 , 1998
Reviewed: July 19, 2004
February , 2009
February 17, 2014
Revised: March 20, 2000