CHESTER TOWNSHIP BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY 3570
DISTRICT RECORDS AND REPORTS
The
increasing complexity of both the law and the processes of governing a school
district require the
Board of
Education to assure itself that the financial and educational operations of the
district are recorded and reported in strict accordance with New Jersey and
federal law.
Therefore,
the Superintendent shall present to the Board each year at the regular meeting
following
the organization meeting, a comprehensive list of legally mandated school
district financial
and other
records and reports. The list shall
identify the requesting agency and the date due.
Subsequent
notification of compliance shall be presented as part of the appropriate
reports at regular meetings of the Board.
Availability to the Public
For the protection of the
public interest, the Board believes that members of the community have a right
to inspect, copy or examine district records, with certain exemptions as
specifically described in statute. Any
limitations on this right shall be construed in favor of the public’s right to
access. The Board designates the
Business Administrator as the custodian of district records. Requests for district records shall be
submitted to the custodian in writing on the appropriate form. The custodian
shall reply to all requests promptly and shall grant access or deny the request
within seven days, provided that the record is currently available and not in
storage or archived.
The custodian shall permit district records to be
inspected, examined or copied during the hours that the Board office is open,
or during not less than six regular business hours over not less than three
business days per week.* Copies may be
made at fees not to exceed that set by statute. Access shall be granted in the medium requested or some other
meaningful medium, unless the request is for a record in a medium not routinely
used by the district; not routinely developed or maintained by the district; or
requiring a substantial amount of manipulation or programming of information
technology. In these cases, the Board
may add a special reasonable charge.
The custodian shall ensure that statements are
prominently posted in district offices that describe the specific terms of the
public’s right to appeal a denial of access and procedures for filing an
appeal.
*For districts having an enrollment of 500 or fewer
students.
Implementation
The Superintendent shall ensure the formulation and
dissemination of rules, regulations and procedures to implement the gathering,
recording, disseminating, copying, storing and ultimately the destroying of
records in accordance with applicable laws.
Particular attention shall be paid to implementing the public’s right to
access records and to protecting from public access those records specifically
exempted by law.
Page 1 of
3
DISTRICT RECORDS
AND REPORTS POLICY
3570
Legal
References: N.J.S.A. 10:4‑6 et seq. Open Public Meetings Act
N.J.S.A. 18A:4‑14 Uniform system of bookkeeping for school districts
N.J.S.A. 18A:7A-11 Annual
report of local school district; contents; annual report of commissioner;
report on improvement of basic skills
N.J.S.A. 18A:11-2 Power
to sue and be sued; reports; census of school
See particularly: children
N.J.S.A. 18A:11-2b
N.J.S.A. 18A:17‑7
through ‑12 Secretary to give notices and keep
minutes, etc.
N.J.S.A. 18A:17‑28(e) Duties of business manager
N.J.S.A. 18A:17‑35 Records of receipts and payments
N.J.S.A. 18A:17‑36 Accounting; monthly and annual reports
N.J.S.A. 18A:36‑19 Pupil records; creation, maintenance and retention,
security and access; regulations; nonliability
N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. Examination and copies of public
records (Right to
See particularly: Know Law)
N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1, -5
N.J.S.A. 47:3‑15 et seq. Destruction of Public Records Law
N.J.A.C. 2:36-1.1 et seq. Child Nutrition Programs
N.J.A.C. 6:3‑1.6 Reporting and staffing of school districts
N.J.A.C. 6:3‑6.1 et seq. Pupil Records
See particularly:
N.J.A.C. 6:3‑6.2(g), ‑6.8
N.J.A.C. 6:8‑2.1 Reporting requirements
N.J.A.C. 6:8-2.2 School
level planning
N.J.A.C. 6A:23-2.1 et seq. Double Entry Bookkeeping and GAAP
Accounting in Local School Districts
N.J.A.C. 6A:30-1.1 et seq. Evaluation of the Performance of School
Districts
N.J.A.C. 15:3‑2 State records manual
Annual Data
Collection Plan, New Jersey State Department of Education
Records
Retention Schedule, New Jersey State Department of Education
Matawan Regional
Teachers Association v. Matawan‑Aberdeen Bd.
of Ed., 212 N.J. Super. 328 (Law Div. 1986)
Laufgas v.
Barnegat Twp. Bd. of Ed., 1987 S.L.D.
2442, aff'd St. Bd. 1988 S.L.D. 2496
Horner v.
Kingsway Regional, 1990 S.L.D. 752
Beatty v.
Chester Bd of Ed, 1999 S.L.D. (Sept.)
Manual for
the Evaluation of Local School Districts
(August 2000)
Page 2 of
3
DISTRICT RECORDS
AND REPORTS POLICY
3570
Cross
References: 3543 Office services
3571 Financial reports
4112.6 Personnel records
4212.6 Personnel records
5125 Pupil records
6142.2 English as a second language;
bilingual/bicultural
6171.3 At-risk and Title 1
6171.4 Special education
9322 Public and executive sessions
9326 Minutes
Key Words
District Records and Reports, Public Access, Records,
Reports
Page 3 of 3