KBA - Publics Right to Know Access
PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO KNOW/FREEDOM OF ACCESS
The School Committee recognizes the importance of a well-informed public to the operations of the school department. The Committee will comply with all applicable sections of Maine’s Freedom of Access Act. Except as otherwise provided by statute, all Committee proceedings shall be open to the public, any person shall be permitted to attend, and any records or minutes of such proceedings that are required by law shall be made promptly and shall be open to public inspection.
Committee agendas and minutes, proposed and approved Committee policies, annual budget reports, student handbooks and Committee member Freedom of Access Training documentation/certificates shall be available for immediate inspection and/or copying in the Superintendent/Principal’s Office. Requests for all other public records shall be made, preferably in writing, to the Superintendent/Principal, specifying the records desired for inspection/copying. The Superintendent/Principal may request clarification concerning which public record or records are being requested.
The Superintendent/Principal or their designee shall acknowledge receipt of a request for inspection and/or copying of public records within a reasonable period of time.
If the request is denied, the Principal or their designee shall inform the requester in writing within five working days of the request and shall state the reason for denial. Otherwise, inspection and/or copying may be scheduled to occur within a reasonable period of time following the request at a time that will not delay or inconvenience the regular activities of the school unit.
FEES
Except as otherwise provided by law or court order, the Acton School Department may charge fees as follows:
A fee of twenty five cents ($.25) per page to cover the cost of copying.
A fee of ten dollars ($15) per hour after the first hour of staff time per request to cover the actual cost of searching for, retrieving, and compiling the requested public record. Compiling the public record includes reviewing and redacting confidential information.
If translation is required, a fee to cover the actual cost of translation.
No fee shall be charged for inspection of public records.
As required by law, the school department will provide the person making the request an estimate of the time necessary to complete the request and of the total cost and, if the estimated total cost exceeds $20.00, will inform the requester before proceeding. If the estimated total cost is greater than $100.00 or if the requester has previously filed to pay a fee assessed for access to Acton School Department records, the requestor may be required to pay all or a portion of the estimated cost prior to the search, retrieval, compiling, translation, and copying of the public record.
The Superintendent/Principal is directed to develop and implement such administrative procedures as may be necessary to carry out this policy.
Legal Reference: 1 M.R.S.A. § 401 et seq.
Cross Reference: BDC-Executive Sessions
JO-Student Records
Adopted: November 12, 1991
Revised: January 11, 2024