Delaware Public Archives

For School Secretary Staff: Records management documents and forms that districts and schools should use when retaining, transferring, retrieving, or destroying records.

Please refer to the materials below for the complete instructions, requirements, and forms. Summary references are provided below to help identify the purpose of each document.

• Appointment of Records Officer and Authorized Agents Form: Used to designate the records officer and staff authorized to work with the Delaware Public Archives. -- Update this form when records officer or authorized agent assignments change.
• School District General Records Retention Schedule: Identifies official retention periods and disposition instructions for school district records. -- Use this schedule to determine how long records must be retained and whether they should be destroyed, transferred, or preserved.
• Retain List: Student Cumulative Records, GSS-001: Identifies what must be retained in student cumulative records before storage or transfer. -- Use this list to confirm required student record contents and purge nonessential materials appropriately.
• Retain List: Special Education Student Audit Files, GSS-004: Identifies what must be retained in special education student audit files. -- Use this list to confirm required special education file contents before purging or transfer.
• Records Management Handbook: Provides guidance for preparing temporary records for transfer to storage. -- Use this handbook for box preparation, content lists, labeling, transfer submission, and retrieval procedures.
• School Content List Template: Used to list the contents of each box transferred to the Delaware Public Archives. -- Ensure the list matches the box contents and is detailed enough to support future retrieval.
• Transfer Document Form: Used when records are transferred to or from the Delaware Public Archives. -- Use this form to document record series, confidentiality status, retention status, box contents, and disposition instructions.
• Records Service Form: Used to request records that are stored with the Delaware Public Archives. -- Include the barcode, box number, record series, year, and record description when requesting records.
• Destruction Notice Form: Used to request authorization to destroy records that have met retention requirements. -- Records must not be destroyed until approval is received from the Delaware Public Archives.
• Selecting and Ordering Boxes: Temporary records are required to be transferred to the Archives in 1 cubic foot (15”x12”x10”), double-walled, brown boxes. The boxes may be used to transfer both letter and legal sized documents. The boxes must be ordered from the State of Delaware vendor. The minimum order to receive contracted pricing is 50 boxes.
  • The current vendor is the Paige Company and their contact information is:
    • Point of Contact: Arlene Cohen
    • Email: acohen@paigecompany.com
    • Website: www.paigecompany.com 
    • Contract Number: GSS17458A-STORAGEBOX
• Delaware Public Archive Questions can be sent to: James Meade
• All documentation and the recording of the June 17, 2026 Webinar can also be found in the Delaware Public Archives Folder on SharePoint.