DI-AP: Personnel Records
The West Fargo Public School District shall maintain at the district administrative office one (1) personnel file for each employee.
Access
Each employee shall have the right, upon request, to review everything in his/her own personnel file. Such access shall be during normal business hours at the district administrative offices.
Public access shall be during normal business hours at the district administrative offices. All file reviews shall occur in the presence of the custodial administrator or designee in order to preserve the integrity of the personnel files. The employee will be notified that the file will be reviewed or has been reviewed. If possible, the employee will be given the opportunity to be in attendance when the file is viewed.
Contents
Each file shall contain the application for employment of the employee, information relative to compensation, job performance, certification, contracts (for professional staff), and any other information required by law.
Records of medical treatment or use of employee assistance programs will not be part of the personnel record and shall not be released without the written consent of the employee.
Removal of Material from Personnel Files
The administration may periodically review the material in the personnel files and remove irrelevant and outdated materials. Employees shall receive any items that are removed from their files. Evaluations will not be subject to removal. Irrelevant materials from the files of former employees separated from the district for more than six years may be destroyed in a manner to avoid dissemination.
Right to Request Administrative Review
Employees have the right to request an administrative review of the material in their files and to request the removal of any material that they consider in error or inappropriate.
Any inquiry concerning the material will be made directly to the custodial administrator. If the employee is not satisfied with the custodial administrator's decision concerning the material, the employee may request, and must receive, a formal review by the school board regarding the placement of the material in the file. This review shall be at an open public meeting of the board.
Right to Copies
Upon written request of employees or members of the public, the district shall provide copies of contents of personnel files, provided that the cost of such copies is borne by requester(s).
Adding Material to the File
No evaluation related material or job performance related letters/notes should be added to an employee's file unless it has been shared with, signed, and dated by the employee. The signature indicates that the employee has read the material; however, it does not imply agreement with its content. If the employee refuses to sign the copy, the supervisor should indicate on the copy that the employee was shown the material, was asked to sign it to verify that it had been read, and refused to sign. In the presence of the employee and a witness, the supervisor should sign and date the statement verifying the refusal of the employee. The material should then be placed in the file.
The employee has the right to place in his/her file any written rebuttal to any content he/she considers to be untrue or unfair.
Adopted: 03/29/88
Reviewed: 22/22/22
Revised: 06/23/97
03/09/98