EMPLOYEE RECORDS
The school district shall maintain personnel records on employees. The records are important for the daily administration of the educational program, for implementing board policy, for budget and financial planning, and for meeting state and federal requirements.
All personnel records shall contain, as a minimum, the following basic items:
I. Initial date of employment.
II. A Federal withholding tax certificate.
III. Appropriate retirement information.
IV. Current sick leave and vacation leave information.
V. Any other information deemed pertinent by the board of education or the superintendent of schools for the employment of the individual with this school district.
In addition to the above mentioned information all certified personnel records shall also contain the following information:
I. A valid teaching certificate, or a copy of the same, which covers the entire period of the employee's contract on file.
II. A complete transcript of all college credits showing degrees granted, etc. Refer to Policy 407.03 for information pertaining to movement on the salary schedule resulting from completion of additional college credits.
III. A record of the individual's teaching experience.
IV. Any other information deemed pertinent by the board of education or superintendent of schools for the employment of the individual with this school district.
Employee personnel files are school district records and are considered confidential records and therefore are not generally open to public inspection or accessibility. Only in certain limited instances, when the employee has given a signed consent, will employee personnel records be accessible to individuals other than the employee or authorized school officials.
The district will not use or require the use of more than the last four digits of an employee’s social security number for:
1. Public posting or display to the general public or an employee’s coworkers.
2. Transmission over the internet except on a secure or encrypted connection.
3. Accessing an Internet web site unless a password, personal identification number or other unique authentication is required.
4. Use as an employee number for any type of employment-related activity.
The district may use more than the last four digits of an employee’s social security number only for:
1. Compliance with state or federal laws, rules or regulations.
2. Voluntary commercial transactions entered into by the employee with the district for the purchase of goods or services.
3. Internal administrative purposes including providing the number to third parties for such purposes as administration of personnel benefits and employment screening and staffing. However, the following internal administrative purposes do not permit use of employee social security numbers:
A. As an identification number for occupational licensing.
B. As an identification number for drug-testing purposes except when required by state or federal law.
C. As an identification number for district meetings.
D. In files accessible by any temporary employee unless the temporary employee is bonded or insured under a blanket corporate surety bond or equivalent commercial insurance.
E. For posting any type of district information.
Employees may have access to their personnel files, with the exception of letters of reference, and copy items from their personnel files at a time mutually agreed upon between the superintendent and the employee. The school district may charge a reasonable fee for each copy made. However, employees will not be allowed access to the employment references written on behalf of the employee. Board members will generally only have access to an employee's file when it is necessary and legally allowed because of an employee related matter before the board.
It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to keep employees' personnel files current. The copy of the employee’s records kept at the superintendent’s office is the official copy of their records.
Legal Reference:
Neb. Statute 79-539 84-1201 et seq.
Nebraska Laws 2007, LB 674
Cross Reference:
403.01 Release of Credit Information
404 Employees' Health and Well-Being
