Wisconsin School Records Privacy Laws at a Glance
Laws in Wisconsin, as in some other states, establish rules for how and when a students' school records may be accessed (and who may access them). While a student's grades and test scores may not seem all that sensitive, school files also may include disciplinary records, confidential notes taken by the school counselor, or other data that most would agree is of a private nature. Some states even restrict parental access to certain records, such as teacher notes that are intended for internal use.
Wisconsin law allows students and their parents to access school records, while courts and school officials may access these records under certain circumstances. For example, judges may request school files of a student if he or she is the subject of a court proceeding, while names of school dropouts may be provided under a court order.
Additional details of Wisconsin's school records privacy laws are listed in the following chart. See FindLaw's School Privacy section for related articles.
| Code Section | 118.125, 126 |
| Who Has Access to School Records? | All records confidential. Pupil, parents, courts and school officials (under certain circumstances), and persons designated by parents or pupil may receive a copy upon request; behavioral records must be destroyed one year after student is no longer enrolled unless student permits by written consent. Student's records as they relate to health are treated as health records: school psychologist, counselor, social worker and nurse, teacher, or administrator working in alcohol or drug abuse program activities shall keep student communications regarding such confidential unless pupil consents to disclosure or if there is serious and imminent danger to anyone's health or safety or if required to be disclosed by law. |
| Penalty for Violation of School Record Privacy Laws | - |
Note: State laws are constantly changing. While FindLaw strives to keep its state law information up-to-date, you may want to contact a Wisconsin education attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
School Record Privacy Protection Under Federal Law
In addition to state law, the federal Family Educational Records Protection Act (FERPA) protects the right of students and their parents to review any school records. The Act also ensures the right to make corrections if necessary and requires schools to get written permission before disclosing most school records.
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Wisconsin Privacy of School Records Laws: Related Resources
