Records Management

The Ferndale School District School Board recognizes records management is essential to the efficiency and cost effectiveness of district operations. Well-managed records reinforce the district’s commitment to transparency and accessible public information.

This policy provides a standardized framework for the creation, maintenance, use, and disposition of Ferndale School District records to ensure district information assets are:

Current, accurate and easy to use
Managed to support district processes and objectives
Open and accessible to district staff and the public
Demonstrate and document compliance with laws, regulations, and standards
A record of the district’s past is preserved

Definitions

Electronic message(s): For the purpose of this policy electronic messages are any means of messages transmitted or received electronically, except e-mail. This includes SMS, text messaging, instant messaging, social networking applications, mobile phone applications, desktop applications or any other software used for transmitting or receiving electronic communications.

E-mail: A means or system for transmitting messages electronically between users of networked computing devices through electronic mail server systems such as Microsoft Exchange.

Records Retention: The period of time records are retained prior to destruction or archival.

Public Record: Any writing containing information related to the conduct of the district or the performance of any district or proprietary function prepared, owned, used or retained by the district regardless of physical form or characteristics. "Writing" means handwriting, typewriting, printing, photostating, photographing, and every other means of recording any form of communication or representation including, but not limited to, letters, words, pictures, sounds, or symbols, or combination thereof, and all papers, maps, magnetic or paper tapes, photographic films and prints, motion picture, film and video recordings, magnetic or punched cards, discs, drums, diskettes, sound recordings, and other documents including existing data compilations from which information may be obtained or translated.

Transitory Record: Records that are of short-term, temporary informational use.

Litigation Hold: Despite any retention schedule, public records must be retained if they are subject to ongoing or reasonably anticipated litigation or if they are subject to an existing public records request.

1. Records Retention

Retention Schedules

Staff must use the CORE (Local Government Common Records) and Public Schools (k-12) records retention schedules established by the Washington State Archives (WSA) to determine when records may be lawfully destroyed or transferred for archival to WSA.

Transitory Records

Staff may lawfully destroy transitory records on an ongoing basis in compliance with WSA retention schedules.

2. Public Records Requests

To comply with the Washington State Public Records Act, staff must cooperate with the public records officer when subject to public records requests. Staff who fail to comply with public records requests may be subject to corrective action, discipline, or termination.

Records subject to litigation hold must be preserved regardless of the original retention schedule. The unlawful destruction of public records can be a crime.

3. Technology

New electronic messaging tools and records management software must be screened and approved by the Technology Director and Communications Director to ensure usability and security before implementation. Staff may not use electronic messaging tools that are not adopted by the district.

The superintendent will develop procedures to implement this policy.

Cross References:

4010P	Records Management
4040	Public Access to District Records

Legal References:

RCW 40.14	Preservation and destruction of public records
RCW 42.56	Public Records Act

Adopted: 12.17.2024

4000

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