805.1 SCHOOL DISTRICT RECORDS

The secretary of the Board shall keep records according to the schedule in Code 805.1R.

All personnel records shall be kept and preserved by the Secretary of the Board and shall be housed in the Administrative offices of the School District.  All personnel records shall be retained permanently and periodically scanned to be stored electronically.

The Superintendent may electronically store and/or back-up or use any other reliable mass storage method to preserve school district records and may destroy paper copies of the records if they are more than three (3) years old.

 

*Reviewed:  05/13/02

*Revised:  02/12/07

*Reviewed:  04/12/10

*Revised:  12/13/10

*Revised: 03/09/15

*Reviewed: 09/09/19

805.1R Record Retention

Officers and directors of corporations have two essential duties to which their actions must conform. The first is a fiduciary duty to act with complete loyalty, honesty, good faith and in the best interests of the corporation. Iowa Code ' 490.830(l)(a). The second requirement is a duty of care. The duty of care is the objective standard by which directors action are measured. The duty of care states that directors must act with the same care an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would exercise under similar circumstances. Iowa Code ' 490.830(l)(b).

The duty of care requires directors and officers of a board to keep and maintain appropriate records of the corporation.  In fact, the Iowa Code states that a school corporation is required to file and preserve copies of all reports made and all papers transmitted pertaining to the business of the corporation, a complete record of the minutes of all meetings, records of all elections, and an accurate and complete accounting of all money spent and claims made. Iowa Code ' 291.6.  The Iowa Supreme Court has stated that a governing body should establish policies and procedures for retaining records which must be kept and disposing of those it has no duty to maintain.  Clark v. Banks, 515 N.W.2d 5, 7 (Iowa 1994).

Generally, federal and state laws dictate the length of time which some records must be kept.  Iowa law makes no particular reference to the length of retention of school district records except that the school board is authorized to make rules and regulations for the care of school property (279.8). The Statute of Limitations (Chapter 614 and the Iowa Municipal Record Manual,1982,) are the basis for the following suggested retention procedures for just some of the documents you may encounter in the school business office.  Please note that in many cases, where the retention period is not governed by state or federal law, these are suggested guidelines only and each retention case may warrant an individual review.

It is also suggested that school districts explore the economics of electronic storage of all permanent district records. Iowa law expressly provides that if a law requires that a record be retained, the requirement is satisfied by retaining an electronic record of the information in the record which does both of the following: a) Accurately reflects the information set forth in the record after it was first generated in its final form as an electronic record or otherwise and b) Remains accessible for later reference. Iowa Code ' 554D.114.

LEGAL DOCUMENT

RETENTION

The official minutes of the school board, including resolutions

Permanently

Board meeting agendas

2 years

Detailed minutes and audio tapes of closed sessions

1 year beyond the date of the meeting

A copy of board policies

Until superseded

Oaths of Office

Permanently with the minutes

Fidelity bonds of officials

5 years after expiration

Bids accepted

5 years

Bids rejected

1 year beyond audit

Citizens petitions

3 years after close of issue

Ballots

6 months after the election if not contested

Articles of Incorporation

Permanently

Records of patents, copyrights, trademarks etc.

Permanently

CORRESPONDENCE

 

Financial correspondence

5 years

Personnel correspondence

7 years after termination

Credit and collection correspondence

7 years

General correspondence

3 years of as long as administratively useful or of historical value

FINANCIAL REPORTS AND RECORDS

 

Secretary’s and Treasurer’s financial accounting records

Permanently (general ledger, annual financial report, CAR)

Disbursement journals/register, receipt journals/register, check register, general journals and bank statements

10 years

Canceled warrants, check stubs, bills, invoices, receipts, purchase orders, requisitions, petty cash vouchers, cost accounting commutations, investment records, and bank reconciliations

5 years

Records and report regarding uncollectible accounts

10 years

Interim financial reports

5 years

Claims for sales tax or fuel tax refunds

  • Also licensed distributors, dealers and users must retain for 3 years hard copies of bills of lading or manifests, purchase invoices, copies of sales invoices, exemption certificates, purchase records, sales records, copies of reports filed with the Department of Revenue, Iowa export schedules, copies of credit memos and canceled checks and cash register

5 years

Audits

Permanently

BUDGET

 

Budget estimate worksheets

5 years

Final budget and certification summary

Permanently

Budget amendments

Permanently

Certified enrollment officials summaries

Permanently

FIXED ASSET RECORDS

 

Documents relating to fixed asset

5 years beyond disposal of fixed asset

Fixed asset repair records

3 years

Inventories

5 years

Documents relating to real property transactions

  • Includes such things as deeds, title, opinions, abstracts, appraisals, certificate of title, title insurance, condemnation proceedings, easement and right of way agreements, plats and alterations of plats, blueprints and other structural plans or specifications and annexation files.)

Permanently

LEGAL DOCUMENTS

 

Written contracts

10 years beyond the end of the contract

Purchase or service agreements for equipment or supplies

5 years after expiration

Record of payment or judgments against the district

20 years

Accidents on school property, settled out of court

10 years after settlement

Accidents on school property, court decisions

Permanently

Fire damage reports

5 years

Insurance policies

3 years after expiration

Special events permits and licenses

3 years

BOND ISSUES

 

Bond certificates

11 years after final recall (or possibly permanently)

Redeemed coupons should be stamped and paid

11 years

Bond register

Permanently

Records and documents pertaining to cancellation, transfer, redemption or replacement of public bonds or obligations

Preserved by the issuer or its agent for a period of not less than 11 years

Other records related to bonds

During the outstanding period of the bonds, (plus any refunding bonds) plus 3 years

STUDENT RECORDS

 

The individual permanent record of each pupil

  • 34 CFR 300.573 requires that a school inform parents when personally identifiable information collected, maintained or used for special education purposes is no longer needed to provide educational services to the child. At the request of the parents, that information must be destroyed. This does not include the permanent record information of name, address, grades, attendance record etc., which still may be maintained without time limit. The district may want to caution parents that there are many good reasons why they might not want their child’s special education record destroyed such as the potential future need to prove disability for SSI or SS disability purposes.

Permanently either in its original form or electronic media except as listed next

FEDERAL PROGRAMS

 

Child nutrition records pertaining to participation, financial information and free and reduced price meal applications

3 years in addition to the current fiscal year. this is the federal fiscal year, so it really is 4 years. Records of an unresolved audit must be retained until that audit is resolved

JTPA contracts and claims

5 years

Asbestos medical records or records of licensure

Minimum of 30 years

Generally records related to federal aid

5 years if audited. If there is a non-compliance problem/questioned cost, the records should be retained 3 years after settlement

AFFIDAVITS OF PUBLICATION

 

Regarding budget

Until audited or 5 years

Regarding bond issues

5 years after final recall

Regarding other issues

5 years except real estate which should be kept permanently if proof not filed with deed.

UNION/ASSOCIATION RECORDS

 

Negotiation records

As long as administratively useful

Master contracts

Permanently

Case files

10 years

EMPLOYEE ACCIDENTS

 

Employer reports

5 years

OSHA reports

5 years

Worker compensation reports

5 years after final payment, however, if the case may result in future claims, the reports should be retained 60 years

PAYROLL

 

Payroll journals

60 years

Supporting payroll documentation

5 years

W-2s, W-3s, W-4s, 941s, deposits, 1099s, 1096s

5 years

Iowa withholding reports, job service reports

5 years

PERSONNEL RECORDS

 

Job descriptions

Permanently

Applications and resumes of those hired

60 years

Applications and resumes of those not hired

3 years

Results of tests/placements of those hired

60 years

Employment contracts

10 years after termination

Evaluations, continuing education records, employee medical exams

60 years

Resignations and reasons for termination

60 years

IPERS claims

60 years

Unemployment claims

5 years

Garnishment records

3 years beyond closure

Enrollments for direct deposits, insurance etc

As long as current

Health insurance payments and claims

5 years

EEO-4 Reports

5 years

EEO Plans

As long as current

 

 

*Adopted: 04/13/15

*Reviewed: 09/09/19