GCS Student Records & Notices

GCS maintains official records and data related to students as required by law. GCS follows all applicable state and federal laws regarding the confidentiality and safeguarding of student information and to allow access to student records as appropriate for educational and other designated purposes.  

For more details, see Administrative Regulation 4700-R Student Records. 

The Guilford County Board of Education has designated the following items as directory information. Directory information may be disclosed upon request unless the parent/guardian has informed the child’s school in writing that no directory information should be disclosed. 

• Student's name 

• Major course of study 

• Date and place of birth 

• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports 

• Weight and height of members of athletic teams 

• Dates of attendance (date of enrollment through date of withdrawal or graduation 

• Degrees and awards received 

• Date of graduation 

• Most recent previous educational agency or institution attended 

The Guilford County Board of Education does not designate a student's home address, telephone number, e-mail address or parents' names as directory information. 

Parents/guardians or eligible students may refuse to permit the designation of any or all of the categories of personally identifiable information as directory information. The parent/guardian or eligible student must inform the Guilford County School District in writing within thirty days of the opening of school each year that such personally identifiable information is not to be designated as directory information and should not be released without their prior consent. If a parent/guardian or eligible student waits until after this period has elapsed, the Guilford County Schools will honor such requests for future disclosures.

Click here for the Directory Information Opt-Out Form.

​​​​​​Directory information may be released upon request to organizations or persons fostering the educational purpose of the district. This includes accredited post-secondary educational institutions, various branches of the armed forces, non-profit and/or business organizations that have been approved by the district, or to requesters planning class reunions or alumni activities. No directory or other student information will be released for marketing or sales purposes. 

The following individuals, institutions and/or agencies may access non-directory information without parental/guardian or eligible student consent for disclosure: 

Non-directory information is also shared without parental consent in response to health or safety emergencies. 

Written or electronic consent of the parent, caregiver, or eligible student must be presented for the release of student information to any individual, agency, or organization not included in the above list of authorized disclosures. 

1. School officials with legitimate educational interests in the records 

2. Officials of a school to which the student is transferring 

3. Federal/state educational officials 

4. Educational institutions inquiring about the student's application for financial aid 

5. State/local officials to whom disclosure is required by state law and in accordance with federal law   

6. Organizations conducting studies for testing or improving instruction 

7. Accrediting organizations 

8. Parents of a dependent student 

• If you would like for GCS to release your student’s educational records to a healthcare provider, please complete Authorization for the Disclosure of Student’s Educational Records to Health Providers. This form does not allow GCS to receive your student’s medical records. If you would like for GCS to receive your student’s medical records from their healthcare providers, please complete Authorization for the Disclosure of Student’s Health Information to the Guilford County Schools. 

• If you would like for GCS to release your student’s educational records to another individual, agency, or organization not included in the above list of authorized disclosures, and that is not a healthcare provider, please complete Authorization for the Disclosure of Student’s Educational Records to Health Providers. 

Parents or guardians, and students over 18, can challenge the content of a student’s cumulative record. This process excludes challenging teacher’s grades, except for accuracy. Here’s how it works: 

• A written request to amend the records must be made within ten days of inspecting the record. 

• Within five school days of receiving the request, the principal will schedule a meeting to review the contested data. 

• If the data is found to be inaccurate, misleading, or inappropriate, it will be removed. 

• If the challenge is not justified, the data stays in the record. The requester can then ask for a hearing before the Superintendent’s designee. 

• If a hearing is requested, it will be scheduled within ten school days. The requester will get at least two school days’ notice. 

• The requester can bring an attorney or anyone else to the hearing, at their own expense. 

• The hearing officer will give a written decision within five school days of the hearing. 

• If the officer decides the information is not inaccurate or misleading, the requester can submit a statement explaining their objections. This will be added to the student’s record. 

Time limits for challenges to records can be waived or extended by mutual consent. 

You must update the school immediately if there are any legal agreements or court orders documenting changes to custody arrangements or guardianship of your child. Please provide a copy of custody agreements, legal guardianships, temporary protective orders or other documents that alter the persons or the rights of the persons who have physical custody and/or rights to access your child and their records.  

Unless the school has a court order or legal agreement on file explicitly indicating otherwise, legal parents/guardians of a student have the authority to pick them up, to designate emergency contacts, to access their records, and to make decisions about their health, education and welfare. 

School officials will follow the child’s official school records when determining who a student or their information may be released to. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to resolve any disputes in an appropriate manner outside the school setting. 

Federal law requires that the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provide military recruiters with a list of high school students’ names, addresses and telephone listings after the 30th day of school. These are to be used for recruiting purposes and for informing young people of scholarship opportunities. Parents/guardians and students have the option of requesting that the student’s name, address and telephone number not be shared with military recruiters. Any requests received after the 30th day of school will be honored for future disclosures. 

Click here for the Military Recruitment Opt-Out Form. 

At various times during the school year, school representatives, Guilford County Schools (GCS), partners/vendors of GCS and a variety of media outlets request permission to film, video tape and photograph our schools. They subsequently publish, broadcast or use these materials, which often include images and depictions of students, as well as student work products. 

If you wish to opt out of allowing your child’s likeness or work products to be used/featured by your school, GCS/its partners or electronic or social media, please inform the school in writing by the 30th day of school. Any requests received after the 30th day of school will be honored for future disclosures. 

Click here for the Photo Sharing Opt-Out Form.