It is the policy of the Seattle School Board to: 

• Provide for the efficient and economical control over the creation, organization, maintenance and disposition of electronic, film, and paper records in accordance with district policy and applicable state and federal laws; 
• Collect, catalog, preserve, and interpret objects, manuscripts, photographs, artifacts, and other materials belonging to the district which are illustrative of the district’s history;  

• Provide a district archive where these may be stored and displayed and which is open at reasonable hours for the public and researchers; and  
• Assist and encourage historical studies 

Archives 

The Archivist ensures that records that have been designated “archival” or “potentially archival” by the Washington State records retention schedules are appraised for inclusion in the Archives once the records have served the administrative purposes for which they were created.  Records and materials deemed archival shall be arranged, described, and indexed so that they are readily accessible to scholarly researchers, district officials, and the public. 

The Archives Department: 

• Preserves permanent records, publications and artifacts for the benefit of posterity, for district, legal and scholarly research, and for public relations, including commemorative events and displays; 
• Prepares records that have permanent administrative, legal, fiscal, research, historical, or archival value for transfer to the Archives for permanent storage; and  

• Collaborates with the district Public Records Officer as necessary to complete public records requests. 

Records and materials sent to Archives will be available to the originating schools and offices for reference purposes, but may not be permanently removed from the Archives.  All other requesters will have to review them in the Archives.  Archival records may be housed in facilities maintained by the district, or with the State Archives, as determined by the district Archivist and the State Archivist. 

Records Management 

The Records Manager provides for the efficient, economical and effective control over the public records created by the district, and also serves as the custodian of the district archives. 

The Records Management Department  

• Coordinates the district Records Management program that applies to all offices, departments, boards, committees and schools of the district; 

• Prepares inactive or semi-active records for transfer to the Archives for storage until the retention period is over and prepares disposable records for transfer to the Archives for destruction; and 
• Collaborates with the district Public Records Officer as necessary to complete public records requests. 

The Superintendent is authorized to develop procedures for this policy, as necessary.