Why can't I look at my own records?

Recently, I went to Buffalo Grove High School's Student Services to request inspection of my permanent and temporary records. I did this on two separate occasions. Both times I was flatly denied and given the runaround.

I graduated from high school in 2004. I graduated from college last fall. Evidently, those credentials mean diddly squat. When I went to Student Services the second time around, I came with ammunition and politely pointed out that District 214 states the following: "All students have the right to inspect, copy, and release their permanent record (www.d214.org/students/info/records.php)."

Seemed pretty straightforward to me. Not ambiguously worded at all. Yet I was greeted with skepticism and openly patronized by a staff member at Student Services. The staff member raised her voice and proceeded to insult me. She said they only release the records five years after graduation, but nowhere on the District 214 page does it say that. It says, "The Student Temporary Record shall be destroyed by the 20th birthday of the student or five (5) years after the student is no longer enrolled."

I don't mean to belabor the point, but that's irrelevant to what I was there for. The staff member was uncooperative, disrespectful, intrusive and she trivialized my request. After she badgered me for a time, I told her it was none of her business and it was my right to look at them if I so chose. I wasn't aware that our records are highly classified information. Guess I didn't have the proper clearance.

Josh Borenstein

Buffalo Grove