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Policy EHB-R
Data Storage and Record Retention Procedures
School Board Approved: December 16, 2010
Procedure for General Records:
- Check the retention schedule before disposing of documents/records. If the document/record is not listed, consult with the Business Office before disposing of the document/record. If necessary the New Hampshire Department of Education, other appropriate agency, or legal counsel will be contacted for guidance.
- Records, including electronic files, will be maintained in accordance with the retention schedule.
- Records whose retention has expired will be properly destroyed by secured shredding or incineration.
- Only one copy of a document needs to be retained, by the party responsible for it. If available the original document should be retained.
- Drafts and notes can be destroyed except when such documents are important to official business or action of the district, in which case they will be stored in the official file.
- Except as noted in the retention schedule, the retention period runs from when the record was created or received.
- No record relating to pending or anticipated litigation may be destroyed or altered even if the record is technically past its retention date.
- Any e-mail message that would be saved if it had been transmitted in paper form should be printed and retained in accordance with the retention schedule. All e-mails (after those that should be retained and printed in hard copy) and are considered “Correspondence for Business” and will be automatically deleted by the system after four (4) years.
- Junk mail and “spam” are not considered records and can be discarded immediately.
- State law requires schools to transfer records when a student enrolls in another school in the state. A copy of the records that were forwarded to the new school will be retained in accordance with the retention schedule.
Records Retention Schedule:
Annual Audit - Permanent
Annual Report - Permanent
Application for Free/Reduced Lunch - 6 years
Architectural Plans - Permanent
Asbestos Removal - Permanent
Ballots - 60 days after election recounts and appeal
Bank statements & Reconciliations - 6 years
Bids (Successful) - 3 years
Bids (Unsuccessful) - 3 years
Bond Issue Documentation - Permanent
Budget (Approved) - 6 years
Budget Transfers - 1 year
Budget Worksheets - 1 year
Cash Receipts & Deposit Slips - 6 years
Contracts - Permanent
Collective Bargaining Agreements - Permanent
Correspondence for Business - 4 years
Deeds - Permanent
Department of Revenue Administration Apportionment Worksheets - Permanent
Department of Revenue Administration Default Budget - 6 years
Department of Revenue Administration MS22 (Approved Budget) - 6 years
Department of Revenue Administration MS24 (Estimated Revenues) - 6 years
Department of Revenue Administration MS25 (Financial Report) - Permanent
Department of Revenue Administration MS26 (Budget) - 6 years
District Meeting Minutes & Warrant - Permanent
DOE25 Financial Report - Permanent
Engineering Surveys - Permanent
Enrollment Reports: Resident Pupil Membership Forms - Permanent
Enrollment Reports: Fall Reports A-12-A (RSA 189:28) - Permanent
Enrollment Reports: Pupil Registers (189:27-b) - Permanent [must maintain paper copy]
Enrollment Reports: School Opening Reports - 3 years
Enrollment Reports: Statistical Reports A-3 (RSA 189:28) - Permanent
Federal Grants: Form 1 application
Federal Grants: Form 2
Federal Grants: Form 3
Federal Grants: Form 4 quarterly
Federal Grants: Invoices
Federal Grants: Inventory
Federal Grants: Payment Vouchers
Federal Grants: Purchase Orders
Federal Grants: Requisitions
FICA Reports: Monthly - 6 years
FICA Reports: Quarterly Form 941 - 6 years
Fixed Assets Schedule - Permanent [as updated]
Journal Entries - 6 years
Unemployment Reports: Form C-2 - 6 years
Unemployment Reports: Wage Report - 6 years
Invoices - 6 years
Manifests (Accounts Payable & Payroll) - 6 years
Minutes of Board Meetings - Permanent
NH School District Profile - 5 years from submission of data to NHDOE
Oaths - Permanent
Payment Vouchers - 1 year after audit
Purchase Orders - 1 year after audit
Requisitions - 1 year after audit
Retirement Reports (monthly) - 1 year
School Calendar - Permanent
School Board Calendar - Permanent
Student Activity Records - 6 years
Technology Plan - Permanent
Time cards/pay slips - 6 years
Travel Reimbursements - 1 year after audit
Treasurer’s Records: Annual Report - 6 years
Treasurer’s Records: Bank Reconcilements - 6 years
Treasurer’s Records: Canceled Checks - 6 years
Treasurer’s Records: Manifests - 6 years
Trust Funds - Permanent
Vocational Education: AV-1 Forms - 1 year
Vocational Education: Equipment Inventory - 5 years
Vocational Education: Federal Forms - 6 years
Vocational Education: Regional Contracts - 20 years
W-2 - 6 years
W-4 - 6 years
W-9 - 6 years
Internal Records: Child Abuse Reports/Allegations - Permanent
Internal Records: Criminal Investigations - Permanent
Criminal Record Checks (Unsuccessful/Unfavorable) - 1 year
Internal Records: Personnel Investigations - Permanent
Internal Records: Sexual Harassment - Permanent
Personnel Records: Accident Reports - Term of employment
Personnel Records: Applications (Employed) - Term of employment
Personnel Records: Applications (Not Employed) - 3 years
Personnel Records: Attendance Records - Term of employment
Personnel Records: Civil Rights Forms - 6 years
Personnel Records: Class Observation Forms - 1 year
Personnel Records: Employment Contracts/Agreements - Term of employment
Personnel Records: Evaluations - Term of employment
Personnel Records: HIPPA Documentation - 6 years
Interview Documents (Employed) - Term of employment
Interview Documents (Not Employed) - 3 years
Letters of Recommendations (Employed) - Term of employment
Letters of Recommendations (Not Employed) - 3 years
Medical Benefits Application - Term of employment
Medical Examinations - Term of employment
Payroll Deduction Authorizations - Term of employment
Re-employment Letter of Assurance - 1 year
Requests for Leaves - 6 years
Retirement Application - Term of employment
Separation from Employment Form/Letter - 6 years
Staff Development: District Plan - Permanent
Staff Development: Employee Professional Development Plan - Term of employment
Staff Development: Employee Professional Development - Term of employment
Substitute Lists - 6 years
Transcripts (Employed) - Term of employment
Transcripts (Not Employed) - 3 years
Student Records: Accident Reports - 6 years after age of maturity
Student Records: Child Labor Permits - 1 year
Student Records: Co-curricular Activities - Term of enrollment
Student Records: Disciplinary Records - Term of enrollment
Student Records: Early Dismissal Forms - 1 year
Student Records: Emergency Information Forms - 1 year
Student Records: Health and Physical Records - Term of enrollment
Student Records: Immunization Records - Term of enrollment
Student Records: Insurance Forms - Term of enrollment
Student Records: Medical Reports - Term of enrollment
Student Records: Post High School Placement - 6 years
Student Records: Registration Forms - Term of enrollment
Student Records: Scholarship Information* - Permanent
Student Records: Assessment Results - Permanent
Student Records: Attendance* - Permanent
Student Records: Grades - Permanent
*Complete and accurate records of student’s attendance and scholarship must be permanently kept and safely stored in a fire-resistant file, vault or safe.
Student Records – Special Needs:
All records should be maintained until the student reaches the age of 27. Records should be maintained permanently if the district has reason to suspect that the student poses high risk for litigation or student is chronically mentally incompetent.
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