Swampscott Schools To Destroy Older Special Education Records

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott Public Schools has issued a public notice that it intends to destroy records for all students who exited any special education program before and during the 2018-2019 school year.

The notice says destruction of records will begin on Nov. 10, 2026.

Students or former students who have reached age 18 may review or receive those records by contacting the Student Service Office at 781-596-8800, extension 4381, to schedule an appointment.

A copy of any information contained in the record will be provided to the parent or guardian or the eligible student upon review.

The district said the records are maintained under federal and state law for up to seven years after a student exits a special education program. The notice also says a permanent record of the student's name, address, phone number, grades, attendance record and year completed is maintained for 60 years.

Parents and guardians lose the right to review or obtain the records when their child reaches 18 years of age or starts attending a postsecondary institution, whichever occurs first.

The notice states that a parent of a child with a disability who is 18 years of age or older may retain parental rights if a court has appointed legal guardians to the parent.

Once an appointment is scheduled, the record will be held for review for 10 days after the appointment date. If an appointment is missed or rescheduled, the file will be held for 10 days from the last scheduled appointment date.

If no student, parent or guardian responds to the public notice, the district said it will assume consent to destroy the entire record specific to the student. The purpose of destruction is to protect the student from improper and unauthorized disclosure of confidential information contained in the file.

The notice also says some records may be needed by the student, parent or guardian for Social Security benefits or other purposes.

Anyone who does not understand the notice or needs interpretation is asked to contact the Student Services Office at (781)596-8800 EXT. 4381.