Series 9000: Bylaws of the Board

9330 Board/School District Records

Any recorded data or information relating to the conduct of the public's business prepared, owned, used, received or retained by the Board of Education or the school district, whether handwritten, typed, tape-recorded, printed, photostated, photographed, or recorded by any other method is by  definition a “public record” and access thereto during normal hours of business shall be granted to any citizen. All such records shall be maintained at the office of the Superintendent of Schools, who  shall be the custodian of all public records of the district. 

Not included in the category of public records to which the privilege of access is given are the following: 

1. Preliminary drafts or notes provided the custodian or the Board of Education has determined that the public interest in withholding such documents clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure. 

2. Personnel or medical files and similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute an invasion of personal privacy. 

3. Records pertaining to strategy and negotiations with respect to pending claims and litigation to which the district is a party until such litigation or claim has been adjudicated or otherwise settled. 

4. Trade secrets. 

5. Test questions, scoring keys and other examination data used to administer a licensing  examination, examination for employment or academic examinations. 

6. The contests of real estate appraisals, engineering or feasibility estimates and evaluation made for or by the district relative to the acquisition of property or to prospective public  supply and construction contracts, until such time as all of the property has been acquired or  all proceedings or transactions have been terminated (except that the law of public domain  is not affected by this provision). 

7. Records, reports and statements of strategy or negotiations with respect to collective bargaining. 

8. Records, tax returns, reports and statements exempted by federal law or state statutes or communications privileged by the attorney-client relationship.

9. Names or addresses of students enrolled in the public schools without the consent of each student whose name or address is to be disclosed who is eighteen or older and a parent or  guardian of such minor student. 

10. Records including engineering and architectural drawings; security systems’ operational specifications (except a general description, cost and quality of the system); training  manuals that describe security procedures, emergency plans or security equipment; internal security audits; and logs and other documents containing information on security personnel  movement or assignments if reasonable grounds exist to believe their release would pose a  safety risk, including harm to anyone, a facility or equipment. 

11. Security manuals, emergency plans, emergency recovery or response plans and staff meeting minutes or records or portions of them that contain or reveal security information or otherwise exempt records. 

12. Educational records not subject to disclosure under the Family Educational Rights and  Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 123g; as amended. 

13. Records of standards, procedures, processes, software and codes not otherwise available to the public, the disclosure of which would compromise the security or integrity of an  information technology system. 

Availability of Records 

Any person shall receive promptly on request, a plain or certified copy of any public record except  those to which access is not permitted under law, at a cost not to exceed the maximum amount  allowed by Connecticut General Statutes to cover copying, handling or certifying expenses. If any copy requested required a printout or transcription, or if any person applies for a printout or  transcription of a public record, the fee shall not exceed the cost to the school district. The district  will require prepayment of the fee if the fee is estimated to be two dollars or more. There will be no  sales tax for this service. There will be no charge if the person requesting the record is an indigent,  the record requested is exempt from disclosure, or if, in the judgment of the custodian of records, compliance with the request benefits the general welfare. 

The Superintendent, on behalf of the Board of Education, shall notify an employee in writing when  a request is made for disclosure of the employee's personnel, medical or similar files, if the Superintendent reasonably believes disclosure would invade the employee's privacy.

Legal Reference:

Connecticut General Statutes 

1-15 Application for copies of public records. 

1-200 Definitions. 

1-210 to 1-213 Access to public records. (as amended by PA 02-113) 

1-211 Access to computer stored records. 

1-214 Public contracts as part of public records. 

1-225 to 1-240 Meetings of public agencies. 

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure – 2006 Amendments 

Bylaw adopted by the Board: December 8, 2014 THOMASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Thomaston, Connecticut