Stevensville Public Schools

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Records Available to Public

All District records, except those restricted by state and federal law, shall be available to citizens for inspection at the Clerk’s office.

Any individual may request public information from the district.  The district shall make the means of requesting public information accessible to all persons.

Upon receiving a request for public information, the district shall respond in a timely manner to the requesting person by:

(a) Making the public information available for inspection and copying by the requesting person; or
(b) Providing the requesting person with an estimate of the time it will take to fulfill the request if the public information
cannot be readily identified and gathered and any fees that maybe charged.

The district may charge a fee for fulfilling a public information request.  The fee may not exceed the actual costs directly incident to fulfilling the request in the most cost-efficient and timely manner possible. The fee must be documented.  The fee may include the time required to gather public information.  The district may require the requesting person to pay the estimated fee prior to identifying and gathering the requested public information.

The district is not required to alter or customize public information to provide it in a form specified to meet the needs of the requesting person.  If the district agrees to a request to customize a records request response, the cost of the customization may be included in the fees charged by the district.

In accordance with § 20-9-213(1), MCA, the record of the accounting of school funds shall be open to public inspection at any meeting of the trustees.  A fee may be charged for any copies requested.  Copies will be available within a reasonable amount of time following a request.

A written copy of Board minutes shall be available to the general public within five (5) working days following approval of the minutes by the Board.  If requested, one (1) free copy of minutes shall be provided to local media within five (5) working days following approval by the Board.

Legal References:
2-6-1003, MCA  Access to Public Information
2-6-1006, MCA Public Information requests – fees
20-3-323, MCA District policy and record of acts
20-9-213, MCA Duties of trustees

Policy History:
Adopted on: February 12, 2002
Reviewed on: September 11, 2018
Revised on: December 17, 2001; January 8, 2013; October 10, 2018