Page 12 - TIPJar Summer 2017

Paper Laws,

Electronic

Records:

AN OVERVIEW OF RECORD RETENTION LAWS
FOR CALIFORNIA SCHOOL EMPLOYEES

BY DEVON B. LINCOLN AND RYAN P. TUNG

ow that the record retention for law to be prepared or be retained or may be
California school districts, and retained, or which are destroyed based on the
NSupreme Court provides practical prepared or retained as following classifications:
has directly addressed tips and resources for necessary or convenient
the universe of records school employees when to the discharge of • Class 1 – Permanent
accessible under the retaining and destroying official duty. It is Records: Permanent
Public Records Act, it records. important to remember records are records
is more important than that these regulations deemed important
ever that school district What is a “record”? have not been updated in enough to require
employees and elected more than 40 years, and permanent retention.
officials familiarize Regulations are a poor fit for many Examples include
themselves with their promulgated by the 21st century document personnel records,
obligations in retaining Superintendent of Public retention questions. payroll documents and
school district records to Instruction in the 1970s school board minutes.
ensure that emails, texts govern the retention How long does a school
and other electronic and destruction of district need to retain • Class 2 – Optional
communications made school district records each record? Records: Optional
or stored in private in California. The records are records that
devices and accounts regulations define a The contents of a the superintendent or
are maintained in “record” for K-12 school particular record designee determines are
accordance with these districts as all records, will determine how worthy of temporary
obligations. This article maps, books, papers and long a school district preservation but do
outlines California documents of a school must maintain that not require permanent
regulations governing district required by record. Records must retention. Optional

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