School Visitors Administrative Guidelines

While the Board values the role of parents and relatives in a student’s education, students are to focus on learning during the school day and school should be a place free of family conflicts, if possible. Parents in acrimonious relationships should remember to focus on the best interest of their child in allowing the child to concentrate on his or her education. 

For children whose parents live apart, and unless the Corporation has been provided with evidence that there is a court order, statute, or legally binding document related to such matters as divorce, separation, or custody that specifically restricts or revokes these rights:

1. Each parent is responsible to establish a relationship with their child’s school. 
2. Each parent should obtain school information on their own without depending on the other parent.  
3. A parent shall not interfere with the right of the other parent to communicate directly with Corporation personnel concerning a child. 
4. A parent shall not interfere with the right of the other parent to communicate directly with Corporation personnel concerning a child's school activities.
5. The Corporation will list the custodial parent as the primary contact and will list the noncustodial parent as secondary contact on school records, unless instructed differently by both parents. 

Access to a Student’s Education Records

In accordance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(g) and 34 C.F.R. Part 99, a “parent” of a student includes a natural parent, a guardian, or an individual acting as a parent in the absence of a parent or a guardian. In the case of parents who live apart or are unmarried, this definition and rights within apply to either parent, unless the Corporation has been provided with evidence that there is a court order, state statute, or legally binding document related to such matters as divorce, separation, or custody that specifically revokes these rights. 

Access to a Student During the School Day

The principal of a building may deny visitors at any time if he or she believes the visitor’s access to a student during the school day will cause a disruption to the educational environment.

Both custodial and non-custodial parents have a right to visit a student at school and remove a student from school, unless the custodial parent provides the principal of the student’s school with a court order that specifically addresses the time and place of visitation by the non-custodial parent and does not specifically allow visitation with the child at school by the non-custodial parent. When a custodial parent produces such an order, the Corporation will not permit the non-custodial parent to visit the student at school until the non-custodial parent produces a more recent order of the same court permitting visitation at school. All parents and visitors, regardless of custodial status, are permitted to visit only if it does not present an actual or reasonably foreseeable disruption to the educational environment.

The Board does not guarantee that it will verify that a student rides the proper school bus or will only be released to the custodial parent.

Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines can be accessed at:  http://www.in.gov/judiciary/rules/parenting/

I.C. 20-33-7-2

West Lafayette Community School Corporation

Adopted: May 12, 2026

Revised: [date]