“Pupil records” means any record related to a student that is maintained by a school or one of its employees. It includes health records.  It does not include “directory information” or a school employee's informal notes, if the notes remain in the sole possession of the maker and are not made available to others, except to a substitute.

Only the principal, as custodian of the records, authorizes the release of pupil records. Only teachers or administrators charged with pupil oversight have the right to view or use pupil records. A teacher’s aide may view or use pupil records only with direct teacher supervision.  Pupil records may be released by judicial order such as a subpoena or a search warrant. In specific cases, such as suspicion of kidnapping, police officers may be given access to records.

Parents and legal guardians of minors have the absolute right to access their child’s pupil records in accordance with the school’s reasonable procedures for providing such access.  Parents or legal guardians may grant any specified person written consent to access specifically identified pupil records. In cases of legal separation and/or divorce, California state law gives the custodial parent and a non-custodial parent with visitation rights, the right to access and examine pupil records. However, only the custodial parent may consent to the release of records and has the right to challenge the content of the records and to write responses to information regarding disciplinary action. A non-custodial parent without visitation rights has no right of access to records of any kind.