Garfield Re-2 Policies

KBBA-R

Custodial and Noncustodial Parent Rights and Responsibilities

The following procedures have been developed for situations involving child custody, visitation, and release of records:

1. The enrollment records of the district will include information regarding the marital status of a student’s parents.  Such status will be reviewed each year.  The parents will be informed that this information is requested solely to protect their rights as parents.

2. The school secretary will keep a card file easily accessible to the principal to flag the files of students whose parents are divorced or legally separated or have other special custody arrangements and provide an alert in the current student management database.

3. If a person whom the principal does not recognize appears at school requesting the dismissal of a student, the principal will ask for identification such as a driver's license.

Children of divorced/separated parents

1. Both natural parents have the right to:

a. View the child's school records.

b. Receive school progress reports.

2. If a student's parents are divorced or legally separated, district personnel will request a copy of the legal document pertaining to child custody.

3. The district will presume that both parents have equal access to a child when that student is registered in school unless one parent provides the district with a Colorado court order indicating otherwise.

4. A copy of the court order governing a divorce, separation or delineation of parental rights will be provided by the custodial parent and kept in the student's cumulative record as a temporary record.

5. If the school is aware that the student's parents are divorced or separated and a parent refuses to provide a copy of the court order to the district, the principal will be advised, and a statement of the refusal will be noted, including the date and situation.  This statement will be filed in the student's cumulative record.  The district will provide full access to both parents in this case.

6. A student will not be denied admission to school on the basis of refusing the request for documentation of a divorce, separation, or delineation of parental rights.

7. In some instances, two opposing Colorado court orders may be presented to the school.  In such an event, the most current order will govern.

8 Joint custody stipulations in a divorce decree will be read carefully in order to understand the rights and privileges allowed to each parent.  The school will review such a decree for residency and visitation rights purposes.  Students may be allowed by such a decree to attend two schools on a rotation basis corresponding to custody arrangements.

9. A student will not be released to or visited by a non-custodial parent during the school day unless the custodial parent has provided written permission stipulating the time and date of the release or permission for visitation.

10. If a school official is in doubt about the validity of a request or documentation presented, the official will contact the superintendent.  The official should request positive identification of any individual making a request for release or visitation of a student.

11. If a parent making a request for release or visitation refuses to leave the school premises at the principal's request, the principal will contact the appropriate law enforcement agency.

12. Contact from an attorney on behalf of a parent may be referred to the school attorney on the advice of the superintendent.
 

Approved: October 8, 1996

Revised: April 23, 2019

Garfield School District No. Re-2, Rifle, Colorado