WHEREAS, the exchange of information between the school system of Volusia County and the Juvenile Divisions of the Circuit Court is necessary, and

WHEREAS, the legislative intent for the juvenile justice system as stated in § 985.02(1)(f), Florida Statutes, includes equal opportunity and access to quality and effective education which will meet the needs of the individual child, and

WHEREAS, § 984.151, Florida Statutes, invests the court with authority over habitual truants and assumes information sharing between the courts and the schools, and

WHEREAS, the delinquency case management system emphasizes multi-disciplinary assessments, including attendance, behavioral, curriculum, grade, psychological, special services and other school record information, beginning at the intake stage, and continuing throughout all stages of the court proceedings; and

WHEREAS, Chapter 39, Florida Statutes, requires the court to consider psychological, medical and educational records in dependency hearings, and

WHEREAS,    the timely and accurate exchange of information is in the best interest of the child and family, especially in early intervention and in prevention of further problems, and can best be achieved by the court’s electronic access to school records,

NOW THEREFORE, I, ROBERT K. ROUSE, JR., Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, hereby order and direct the Superintendent of Schools, Volusia County, and appropriate school personnel, to provide, upon request of the Juvenile Divisions of the court, information from individual school records, including grades, curriculum, attendance, discipline referrals, psychological reports, special education services and records, diagnosis and placement, and enrollment history, without consent of the child/parent, when such information is required by the court for proper use in court proceedings.  These records may be accessed electronically to facilitate timely and efficient use thereof.

TO BE RECORDED in Volusia County, Florida.

DONE AND ORDERED in Daytona Beach, Volusia County, Florida, this 15th day of July, 2002.