799 – Records Retention

Purpose

Records are vitally important to the operation of any organization; they serve as the organization’s memory and are evidence of past events and the basis for future actions.  When created, maintained, and disposed of in an orderly and systemic manner, records can be a tremendous asset; when treated in a haphazard and disorderly manner, they can reduce the effectiveness of an organization and increase costs substantially.

This retention policy establishes minimum retention periods for school district records based on their administrative, fiscal, level, and historical value.  It lists record series common to school districts and identifies how long to retain them.

The district intends to follow the General Schedule as developed by the MN Historical Society.  Adoption of this policy also includes adoption of the General Schedule as school policy.

Policy Specifics

1. Procedures

1. Adoption of General Schedule

1. To begin disposing of records according to the general schedule, the board must notify the State Archives Department of the MN Historical Society that the district has officially adopted the General Schedule.  The notification form “Notification of Adoption of School District General Records Retention Schedule” is used for this purpose.  The board can choose to adopt only portions of the General Schedule, but it is recommended to adopt the entire schedule.  Once the MN Historical Society signs and returned the notification form to the district, then records can be disposed of per indications on the schedule.
2. Compare the records in your office with the records listed on the schedule. Retention periods listed on the schedule represent the minimum length of time that you must retain your records.  Once that retention period has been reached, you may either destroy them, transfer eligible records to the State Archives, or retain permanently in the school district.  If you need to retain some record series longer than the listed retention, you should establish an agency policy for those records.
3. Records identified on the schedule as historical may be transferred to a local historical society, museum, public library, or interested individual with the specific, written permission of the state Records Disposition Panel.
4. The retention stated on the schedule applies to any form of the record (paper, computer tape or disk, microfilm, optical disk, electronic media, etc.).  Especially in the case of electronic records, it the responsibility of the school district to identify the official record copy in whatever form it is.  An official record is a record received or created in the transaction of public business as determined by the school district.  However, if you decide to change the form of a record (for instance, you microfilm a paper record) you may not be authorized to dispose of the original record.  If you are considering changing the form of a record, contact the Minnesota Historical Society, State Archives Department, 651-297-4502.
5. Data Practices Classifications are effective as of the printing of this retention schedule.  Because data practices issues change regularly, classifications may have changed.  For current information on data practices, consult Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13, or call the State of Minnesota, Department of Administration, Information Policy Analysis Division at (651) 296-6733.

2. Destruction Reporting

1. After you destroy records according to the general schedule, send a report to the Minnesota Department of Administration and the Minnesota Historical Society (M.S. 138.17, Subd. 7).  Use a copy of the enclosed “Records Destruction Report” (RM-00065) for this purpose.  This report may be submitted annually or as records are destroyed.

3. Records not on the General Schedule

1. Records not listed on this schedule cannot be destroyed without submitting either an “Application for Authority to dispose of Records” (PR-1 form) or a “Minnesota Records Retention Schedule” (RM-00058). The PR-1 form is used to request one-time authority to dispose of records.  A reproducible copy of the PR-1 form is enclosed.  Since an approved PR-1 gives you authority to dispose of only those records listed on the form, we recommend that you use the PR-1 only for obsolete records (records no longer being created). For ongoing authority to dispose of records not listed on the general schedule, complete a “Minnesota Records Retention Schedule.”  This form can be obtained from the Department of Administration, Information Policy Analysis Division, (651) 296-6879.

4. Duplicate Records

1. This retention schedule concerns itself only with the school district’s official record copy and the retention periods assigned reflect that.  It is each school district’s responsibility to identify the official record copy and to identify when to destroy any other copies of identical records, after they have lost their legal, fiscal, historical and administrative value.  Duplicate copies need not be retained.

5. Category Definitions

1. Record Series Description:  A record series is a group of records clustered together because they all relate to the same topic and have the same retention period.
2. Retention Period/Statute:  The retention cited is the minimum amount of time a record must be kept.  A number printed alone, e.g. 10, means ten years.  The stated retention does not include the year the record originates.  For example, if Record A is filed by calendar year and it has a retention of 3 years, the disposal date for 1985 records is January 1989.  Statutes listed here cite specific retention periods for the records series.
3. Archival:  If a Y, meaning yes, appears in this column these records must be retained permanently by the school district, because they have historical value.  Records of closed school districts may be transferred to the State Archives for selection and disposition.  These include defunct school districts that consolidate or merge with existing school districts and inter-district cooperative centers that dissolve.  The records of closed school districts are at particular risk because there is often no clearly authorized custodian except for the State Archives as mandated by M.S. 138.17.
4. Data Practices Classification:  This phrase refers to records classified by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act or other state or federal laws.  The classification system includes:  public, private, confidential, nonpublic or protected nonpublic.  More than one classification may apply.
5. Data Practices Statute:  This phrase refers to the statute or law which cites the data practices classification of the record series.

Legal References: