Were those "permanent" school records really all that serious after all?

Sure doesn’t seem like it, except applying to selective universities. As far as I know, the only places they mattered for me were:

* within the school itself
* applying to selective universities (many of which hadn’t heard of my small private school, so were interpreted wrongly anyway)
* when transferring credit from one university to another
* possibly slight attention to which schools I went to and what degrees I had, not grades

I did almost get tossed out of my grade school. I got two of my “three strikes” for middle school, the year before I entered middle school, for misadventures on the middle school campus. But I then avoided any other strikes in middle and upper school.

No employer has ever asked me for a school or college transcript.

No such thing.

Applying for a security clearance sometimes. Also, certain military specialty training goes into it.
My brother was applying for something and not only did they check with schools, they asked to see his bedroom. My mom was reluctant, because he’s a pig. Turns out people who do well in that area of training are notorious slobs.
He got what he was asking for.

I don’t think it ever affected me… And boy, was there a list….