Public Data Requests

Your written request should include:

• That you, as a member of the public, are making a request for data under the Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13;
• Whether you would like to look at the data, get copies of the data, or both; and
• Clear description of the data you would like to inspect or have copied.

Austin Public Schools cannot require you, as a member of the public, to identify yourself or explain the reason for your data request. However, depending on how you want us to process your request (if, for example, you want us to mail you copies of data), we may need some information about you. If you choose not to give us any identifying information, we will provide you with contact information so you may check on the status of your request. In addition, please keep in mind that if we do not understand your request and have no way to contact you, we will not be able to begin processing your request.

Upon receiving your written request, we will work to process it.

• If we do not have the data, we will notify you in writing as soon as reasonably possible.
• If we have the data, but the data are not public, we will notify you in writing as soon as reasonably possible and state which specific law says the data are not public.
• If we have the data, and the data are public, we will respond to your request appropriately and promptly, within a reasonable amount of time (usually within 30 days) by doing one of the following:
  • Arrange a date, time, and place to inspect data, for free, if your request is to look at the data, or
  • Provide you with copies of the data as soon as reasonably possible. You may choose to pick up your copies, or we will mail or fax them to you. If you want us to send you the copies, you will need to provide us with an address or fax number. We will provide electronic copies (such as email or CD-ROM) upon request if we keep the data in electronic format. We may require pre-payment for copies of data.

If you do not understand some of the data (technical terminology, abbreviations or acronyms), please let us know. We will give you an explanation if you ask.

The Government Data Practices Act does not require us to create or collect new data in response to a data request if we do not already have the data, or to provide data in a specific form or arrangement if we do not keep the data in that form or arrangement. (For example, if the data you request are on paper only, we are not required to create electronic documents to respond to your request.) If we agree to create data in response to your request, we will work with you on the details of your request, including cost and response time.

In addition, the Government Data Practices Act does not require us to answer questions that are not requests for data. In the following example, the first statement is a question about data that does not require a response under Chapter 13. The second statement is a request for data requiring a response:

• Why did the school board approve a student field trip to a wildlife center?
• I would like copies of all documents provided to the school board as it was considering approval of a student field trip to a wildlife center on January 13, 2017.

Requests for summary data

Summary data are statistical records or reports that are prepared by removing all identifiers from private or confidential data on individuals. The preparation of summary data is not a means to gain access to private or confidential data. Austin Public Schools will prepare summary data if you make your request in writing and pay for the cost of creating the data (prepayment may be required). Upon receiving your written request, we will respond within ten business days with the data or details of when the data will be ready and how much we will charge.

Austin Public Schools charges members of the public for copies of government data. These charges are authorized under Minnesota Statutes, section 13.03, subdivision 3(c).

If the cost of the copies is $10 or more, you must pay for the copies before we will give them to you.

100 or fewer paper copies

For copies of 100 or fewer pages of black and white, letter or legal size paper, the district charges a fee of 25¢ for each page copied, or 50¢ for each two-sided copy. If the district provides a copy by making a computer printout, the charge is 25¢ per page. Color copies are 50¢ per page.

Most other copies

The charge for most other types of copies, when a charge is not set by statute or rule, is the actual cost of searching for and retrieving the data, and making the copies or electronically transmitting the data (e.g., sending the data by email).

In determining the actual cost of making copies, we factor in employee time, the cost of materials onto which we are copying the data (paper, CD, DVD, etc.) and mailing costs (if any). If your request is for copies of data that we cannot reproduce ourselves, such as photographs, we will charge you the actual cost we must pay an outside vendor for the copies.

The cost of employee time to search for data, retrieve data, and make copies is $19.50 per hour. If, because of the subject matter of your request, we find it necessary for a higher-paid employee to search for and retrieve the data, we will calculate the search and retrieval portion of the copy charge at the higher salary/wage.