The School District’s public records are available for public inspection and/or copying in accordance with State law.

The Superintendent shall be the District Records Officer (DRO).

"Public record" includes any document, device, or item, regardless of physical form or characteristic, including an electronic record, created or received by or coming under the jurisdiction of the District which serves to document the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the District.

"Public record" does not mean any of the following: medical records; trial preparation records; information pertaining to individual students and other confidential materials; personally identifiable information; student directory information when parents have affirmatively withdrawn consent for release in writing; records the release of which is prohibited by State or Federal law.

"Electronic record" includes any record having been created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means.

"Redaction" means obscuring or deleting any information that is exempt from the duty to permit public inspection or copying from an item that otherwise meets the definition of a "public record".

Public records are to be available for inspection during regular business hours, with the exception of published holidays. The District shall organize and maintain public records in a manner such that they are promptly made available for inspection or copying. "Prompt" and "reasonable" take into account that volume of records requested, the proximity of the location where the records are stored, and the necessity for any legal review of the records requested. No record shall be removed from such location. A member of the staff must be present throughout the inspection and copying of such record.

While requests to inspect and/or obtain copies of records are best made in person, telephone and written requests are permitted.

The following procedures shall be followed in connection with requests to inspect and secure copies of School District’s public records:

Requests to inspect and/or obtain copies of public records shall be submitted to the Superintendent. A public records request must at least identify the records requested with sufficient clarity to allow the District to identify, retrieve, and review the records. If it is not clear what records are being sought, the DRO shall contact the requester for clarification.

Individuals requesting to inspect and/or obtain copies of public records do not have to put records requests in writing and do not have to provide his/her identity or the intended use of the requested public record(s).

The District may ask that the requester's identity and reason the information is sought be in writing. The District, however, must first inform the requester that such disclosure is not mandatory, unless the request is for student directory information. The District must also inform the requester that providing such information in writing enhances the District's ability to identify, locate, and/or deliver the records sought. The District may ask that records requests be put in writing, but must also notify the requester that it is not mandatory to do so.

Each request shall be evaluated for an estimated length of time required to gather the records. Routine request for records should be satisfied immediately if feasible to do so. Routine requests include, but are not limited to, meeting minutes (both draft and final form), budgets, salary information, forms and applications, personnel roster, etc. If fewer than twenty (20) pages of copy are requested or if the records are readily available in an electronic format that can be e-mailed or downloaded easily, these should be made as quickly as equipment allows.

All requests for public records must either be satisfied (as above) or be acknowledged in writing by the DRO promptly following the District's receipt of the request. If the request for records was in writing, the acknowledgement shall also be in writing.

If a request is deemed significantly beyond "routine" (such as seeking a large volume/number of copies or requiring extensive research), the acknowledgement must include the following:

Any denial of public of public records requested must include an explanation, including legal authority. If portions of a record are public and portions are exempt, the exempt portions are to be redacted and the rest released. If there are redactions, each redaction must be accompanied by a supporting explanation, including legal authority.

Upon request, copies of public records will be provided at the actual cost of making copies:

A person who chooses to purchase a copy of a public record may also choose to have that record sent to him/her by United States mail or by other means of delivery or transmission provided the person making the request pays in advance for said record as well as costs for postage and supplies used in the mailing.

Records in private e-mail accounts used to conduct public business are subject to disclosure, and all employees or representatives of the District shall retain e-mails that relate to public business and shall copy them to their business e-mail account(s) or to the records custodian.

The records custodian shall treat e-mail from private accounts that are used to conduct public business, thus subject to disclosure, as records of the District. These records shall be filed appropriately, retained in accordance with the established schedules, and made available for inspection and copying in accordance with the Public Records Act.