Public Records: Request Process and Fee Schedule

As a public agency, the McMinnville School District (MSD) is committed to its obligation to make records available to the public, as required by state law (Chapter 192 of the Oregon Revised Statutes) and per policy KBA.

• How to Request Public Records

  To submit a Public Records Request (PRR), you must include your name, contact information and a description of the records you are seeking. Please be as specific as possible, and specify if you would like to receive electronic or physical copies.

• What Happens Next

  MSD will acknowledge your PRR by responding within 5 business days of receiving it. The District will determine what records exist that are responsive and determine whether it is necessary to charge a fee for staff to collect and staff and/or district legal counsel time to review or redact confidential information. If your request will exceed 15 minutes of time to process, we will provide a written estimate, and payment must be received prior to the records being produced. Your written cost estimate, if any, will be provided as soon as reasonably possible but no later than 10 business days after the date the District is required to acknowledge receipt of the request.

  While most requests can be completed in a matter of days, more complex requests can take several weeks or, in some cases, even longer. If it takes longer than 15 business days to complete your request and provide records, you will be notified of an estimated date of completion and you will receive regular updates thereafter. We request your cooperation whenever possible to narrow the scope of a request to reduce the time and cost of providing the record.  Cooperation may include identifying the names of records, custodians, timeframes and key words to use while searching for responsive records.

  The District, as allowed by State law, reserves the right to charge up to the actual cost for completing requests that are time-consuming or require large-scale printing. If fees are charged to complete your request, you may request a waiver or reduction of fees in the public interest. The basis for this determination is that making the record available primarily benefits the general public. As the public records law itself does not further define public interest, the District will determine whether to grant your request in accordance with the factors laid out in the Attorney General’s Public Records Manual and a decision will be made within 5 business days of receiving the request for a fee waiver or reduction in the public interest. The Public Records officer is willing to work with you to narrow the scope of a request to facilitate processing and reduce or eliminate fees.

• Subpoenas/Court Orders

  For subpoenas and court orders, please direct the subpoena or court order to the staff member or school identified in the order. If no staff member or school is identified, please direct the subpoena or court order via the form below.

• Public Records Request Fee Schedule

  The Oregon Public Records Law allows agencies to recover up to their costs for fulfilling a public records request, including actual costs for supplies, research, compilation, postage/shipping and staff time.  MSD will request payment prior to fulfilling a public records request to ensure that the requester is certain of their intent and that costs are properly reimbursed.

  If the request will exceed 15 minutes of staff/legal time, MSD will provide the requester with a written notice of the initial cost estimate.  In such instances, the public records will not be fulfilled until the requester confirms in writing that the requester wants to proceed with the request and provides the payment.

• Submit Request

  Submit your request via this form. If you need assistance, please email info@msd.k12.or.us