Boulder Valley School District
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Boulder Valley School District
Adopted: January 9, 2001
Revised: December 6, 2006, October 15, 2013, March 22, 2016, April 22, 2025

PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION

The Board of Education recognizes and endorses the right of the public to obtain timely and accurate information concerning the School District’s instructional programs, policies,actions, and overall operations. In addition to the School District’s official communications that keep the public informed about the School District, it is the School District’s practice to promptly honor individual requests for information within the parameters established by state and federal laws and Board policy.

The Board and Superintendent share a commitment to transparency and responsiveness. This
includes the expectation that School and School District leadership are responsive to requests for information that are appropriate to the leaders’ role without the need for formal requests. To form the basis for a complaint of a policy violation or under the Colorado Open Records Act, a request for information must be submitted to the School District as provided below. Media inquiries are to be directed to the School District’s Chief Communications Officer.

School District Information

The official minutes of the Board, its written policies and its financial records shall be open as required by applicable law. No records shall be made available for inspection by the public or any unauthorized persons if such disclosure would be contrary to the public interest or otherwise prohibited by law. Members of the public and media are encouraged to look at publicly available sources, including BVSD’s website and the Colorado Department of Education.

Requests for Records

Public records that are not otherwise protected from disclosure shall be available upon written request. In general, education records involving individual students and personnel records of employees are protected from disclosure except to the individual. Questions about the School District’s obligations to share information and records shall be directed promptly to the Office of Legal Counsel before disclosure.

In general, there is no duty to create a public record that does not already exist. There is also no duty for the School District to manipulate a document, including redaction, to make it available.

If the School District elects in its sole discretion to do so, fees and charges may apply consistent with this policy.

To assure that access to public records does not interfere with the regular performance of the record custodian’s duties and responsibilities, disrupt the operations, or result in the disclosure of confidential information, the following standards and process shall be followed:

1. Requests for public records shall be submitted by the School District’s website or in writing to the Custodian of Records:

Boulder Valley School District
Office of Legal Counsel
6500 Arapahoe Rd.
Boulder, CO 80303
Attn: Custodian of Records

Each request must be as specific, clear, and narrow as possible. Requests should include the particular writing, document, or item requested, the date or range, other information that will help the School District identify and provide the correct information. A statement explaining the reason for making the request is helpful, but not required.

2. The School District will respond to a request for records within three working days, and may extend its response by an additional seven working days, if certain extenuating circumstances exist, or as otherwise required by law.

If the records are confidential, privileged, or otherwise protected by law, the District will notify the requester of the reasons that the records will not be produced.

If the records requested include correspondence sent to or received by a Board Member, the Board Member may be contacted prior to disclosure to determine whether the correspondence is in fact a public record.

When fees or charges will apply, the School District will include an estimate of the costs in its response to the requester. The School District will not act to fulfill the request until payment is received.

Fees and Charges

If more than one hour of staff time will be required to respond to the request for records, such staff time in excess of one hour shall be charged to the person seeking access at a rate of $30 per hour.

Copies of any public records requested shall be furnished for 25 cents per page or the amount permitted by law. The District shall not charge a transmission fee when sending electronic documents, except when printing is required.

Denial of Access and Dispute Resolution

A person denied access to district records may seek a court order compelling disclosure, but must first provide written notice to the School District at least 14 days before filing an application in court. During the 14-day period, a School District representative shall meet in person or communicate on the telephone with the person to determine if the dispute may be resolved without court involvement.

Any common expense necessary to resolve the dispute shall be apportioned equally between the person requesting the records and the School District, unless the School District and person agree to a different method of allocating the costs or as otherwise required by law.

LEGAL REFERENCES

CROSS REFERENCES