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Board Policies 2000 - Administration
Board Policy 2600 - Records and Documents Management Program

Board Policy 2600 - Records and Documents Management Program

I. Policy Statement

  1. The Prince George’s County Board of Education (Board) recognizes the importance of maintaining a uniform, system-wide Records and Documents Management Program (Program) to ensure that records and documents controlled by Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) are maintained in a professional, efficient and economical manner consistent with accepted standards and provisions of state and federal laws.
  2. An efficiently maintained Program provides information to support decision-making and to respond to inquiries from internal and external sources in a timely manner. In addition to historical and management information uses, a formal system of records is required to ensure compliance with documentary and reporting requirements established by federal, state, and local statutes and regulations.

II. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide criteria and guidelines for a system-wide Records and Documents Management Program.

III. Definitions

  1. Electronic records – Electronic records should be treated the same as paper records and may include minutes typed on computers, email, spreadsheets, databases, and websites. Electronic records also include data generated, stored, received, or communicated by electronic means for use by, or storage in, an information system or for transmission from one information system to another. Electronic records do not include related tools such as calendars and events, personal or global contacts, email distribution lists, personal tasks, or notes created and stored in the email system.
  2. Employee – An employee under this policy is a Board member, an individual employed by the Board, including tenured and non-tenured teachers and certificated and noncertificated individuals, whether full
    - time, part-time, temporary, substitutes, or interns. In addition, vendors, consultants, contractors, volunteers, and authorized agents who use PGCPS technology and communication systems are expected to comply with this policy and the accompanying administrative procedure.
  3. Destruction - The disposal of records through shredding, deletion, or other appropriate method after the record has passed its retention period.
  4. Permanent record – A record that is considered by law, statute, regulation, the State Archivist, or the Superintendent/designee to have ongoing administrative, fiscal, legal historical, or archival value.
  5. Record – A record is defined for the purposes of this Program as any documentary material in any form created or received by PGCPS or any employee in connection with the transaction of PGCPS business. A record includes written materials, emails, books, photographs, photocopies, publications, forms, microfilms, tapes, computerized records, maps, drawings, and other materials in any format. It also includes electronic records.
    1. A record shall not include copies of original documents maintained elsewhere by PGCPS, whether or not the copy is maintained in the same format. For example, if a document is created initially in an electronic format, it does not need to be retained in hard copy as well. If an employee creates and distributes a document to another employee or other employees, it will be the primary responsibility of the sender’s department or office to maintain an official copy under the Program, other otherwise, ensure compliance with the Program.
    2. A record shall not include drafts of final documents unless the draft is required to be retained for future business or for historical purposes. A record shall not include personal notes made by an employee to refresh the employee’s recollection, as long as the notes are not shared with other employees and/or used for the conducting of PGCPS business.
    3. A record shall not include such documentary materials created or received by PGCPS that are temporary/transitory.
  6. Records Manager – The person designated by the Superintendent/designee whose responsibilities include, but are not limited to, coordinating the Program, monitoring records management activities, and serving as the liaison with the State Archives and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).
  7. Records retention schedules – The official documents that identify all PGCPS records and specify which records are to be maintained permanently and which may be destroyed after a certain period of time. PGCPS’ records retention schedules can be found in the accompanying administrative procedure.
  8. Temporary/Transitory records – Records that are very temporary in nature, such as personal notes, that have no long-term value. These records are not required to be continually maintained for the conducting of current or future PGCPS business and are not required for historical reference. This would include, for example, invitations or announcements, text and phone messages (including voicemail messages), copies of extra reports, drafts, reference material, commercial catalogs, books, general periodicals, or other publications (such as newspapers or magazines) published outside of PGCPS, out-of-date information, or other general correspondence that is typically not kept beyond its usefulness in the normal course of business. These materials should be considered non-permanent and should be destroyed at the discretion of the creator or PGCPS user unless another policy or administrative procedure applies, such as a litigation hold or public record request.

IV. Standards

  1. The Program’s components shall include, at a minimum, a definition of the documents covered by the policy, records retention schedules, and a process to maintain and destroy records according to the records retention schedules.
  2. The Program shall comply with the Maryland Public Information Act (“MPIA”), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”), and any other applicable state or federal laws or regulations.
  3. The Records Manager shall review and update the records retention schedules at least once every two years. All proposed revisions to the records retention schedules must be approved in writing by the Superintendent and submitted to the State Archives for review and approval.
  4. The Records Manager shall be responsible for collaborating with the Records Management Division of the Maryland Department of General Services and the State Archives in the establishment and maintenance of the Program and for transferring to the State Archives permanent record material not needed for the current operation of PGCPS, in accordance with PGCPS’ records retention schedules.
  5. The Records Manager shall establish safeguards against damage, removal, or loss of records.
  6. All schools, administrative offices, and employees shall be responsible for adhering to the Program’s requirements concerning PGCPS records that they receive, oversee, and create.

V. Implementation and Responsibilities

The Superintendent shall develop and maintain administrative procedures to support this policy.

VI. References

  1. Legal
    Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, and its implementing regulations
    Maryland Public Information Act, MD. CODE ANN., General Provisions §§ 4-101, et seq.
    COMAR 13A.08.02
    COMAR 14.18.02
    Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 34
  2. Other Board Policies
  3. Superintendent’s Administrative Procedures
    Administrative Procedure 2600 – Records and Documents Management Programs

VII. History

Policy Adopted 9/8/05

Policy Reviewed-No Revisions Required 11/27/06

Policy Amended 04/29/2010

Policy Amended 05/09/2024

About This Policy

Updated May 9, 2024

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