The Ombudsman has jurisdiction to investigate complaints against public schools, school districts, and public universities. Before you make a complaint to us, we want to make sure the person you are complaining about has had an opportunity to review and resolve your complaint. For this reason, we ask that you first try to address your complaint with the people directly involved and/or supervisory staff, including the school’s principal, district superintendent, and even the school board. Many universities have a formal complaint process available to students.
Ombudsman access to student records
Student records are protected by a federal law, known as the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act. The ombudsman can only access student records if we have a have a waiver from the student or guardian whose records we would need to access. We may be limited in our ability to investigate or resolve complaints without a waiver. You can learn more about FERPA at:
https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/ferpa
General concerns about school districts or school boards
For parents' general concerns about their school districts or school boards, the Iowa Board of Education has a detailed resource page at:
https://educateiowa.gov/pk-12/parent-guardian-and-community-concerns
Complaints about open meetings and public records
If your complaint involves open meetings and public records of a school board, you may want to contact the Iowa Public Information Board at:
University student aid complaints
University student aid is a federal program which is outside of the Iowa Ombudsman's Office jurisdiction. However, you may reach out to the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group at:
Already completed this process?
If you have already gone through this process and want to file a complaint with our office, click here:
Tips for Making a Complaint
► Ask if you can speak with a supervisor or manager about your issue.
► Clearly explain what your issue is and what you’d like the outcome to be.
► Write down the names of the people you speak with, when you spoke with them and what they said.
► Make the conversation about what you need, be persistent but remain calm and polite.
► If you are still unsatisfied, ask what appeal and review processes are available and pay close attention to their criteria and deadlines.
Not Sure? Contact Us!
Please contact us directly if you don’t think it would be appropriate for us to require you to go through an available complaint or review process before we consider your complaint. We can consider your specific circumstances before we decide – including the urgency of your complaint or any disabilities or barriers you may be experiencing.
