708 - Care, Maintenance and Disposal of School District Records

School district records shall be housed in the central administration office of the school district.  It will be the responsibility of the superintendent and board secretary to oversee the maintenance and accuracy of the records.  The following records will be kept and preserved according to the schedule below:

Secretary's financial records

Permanently

Treasurer's financial records

Permanently

Open meeting minutes of the Board of Directors

Permanently

Annual audit reports

Permanently

Annual budget

Permanently

Permanent record of individual pupil

Permanently

School election results

Permanently

Real property records (e.g., deeds, abstracts)

Permanently

Records of payment of judgments against the school district

20 years

Bonds and bond coupons

11 years after maturity, cancellation, transfer, redemption, and/or replacement

Written contracts

11 years

Cancelled warrants, check stubs, bank statements, bills, invoices, and related records

5 years

Recordings and minutes of closed meetings

1 year

Program grants

As determined by the grant

Non-payroll personnel records

7 years after leaving district

Payroll personnel records

3 years after leaving district

Employment applications

2 years

Payroll records

3 years

School meal programs accounts/records

3 years after submission of the final claim for reimbursement

In the event that any federal or state agency requires a record be retained for a period of time longer than that listed above for audit purposes or otherwise, the record will be retained beyond the listed period as long as is required for the resolution of the issue by the federal or state agency.

Employees' records will be housed in the central administration office of the school district.  The employees' records will be maintained by the superintendent, the building administrator, the employee's immediate supervisor, and the secretary/treasurer.

An inventory of the furniture, equipment, and other non-consumable items other than real property of the school district will be conducted annually under the supervision of the superintendent.  This report will be filed with the secretary/treasurer.

The permanent and cumulative records of students currently enrolled in the school district will be housed in the office of the attendance center where the student attends.  Permanent records will be housed in a fire resistant safe or vault or electronically with a secure backup file.  The building administrator will be responsible for keeping these records current.  Permanent records of students who have graduated or are no longer enrolled in the school district will be housed in the Junior-Senior High School and will be retained permanently.  These records will be maintained by the superintendent.

Special education records will be maintained in accordance with law.

The superintendent may digitize or otherwise electronically retain stored school district records and may destroy paper copies of the records.  An electronic record which accurately reflects the information set forth in the paper record after it was first generated in its final form as an electronic record, and which remains accessible for later reference meets the same legal requirements for retention as the original paper record.

 

 

Legal Reference:  City of Sioux City v. Greater Sioux City Press Club, 421 N.W.2d 895 (Iowa 1988).
  
                                    City of Dubuque v. Telegraph Herald, Inc., 297 N.W.2d 523 (Iowa 1980).
  
                                    Iowa Code §§ 22.3, .7; 279.8, .15, .16; 304 (2003).
  
                                    281 I.A.C. 12.3(6).

Cross Reference:  206.3   Secretary-Treasurer
  
                                    218      Board of Directors' Records
  
                                    401.6   Employee Records
  
                                    506      Student Records
​​​​​                                         901.1   Public Examination of School District Records

 

Approved:  11/01/2004

Reviewed:  11/16/2009, 01/20/2020, 06/19/2023

Revised:  02/16/2015, 05/16/2016, 06/19/2023