Technology

The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (Data Practices Act), Minnesota Statute, Chapter 13, presumes that all government data are public unless a state or federal law says the data are not public. Government data is a term that means all recorded information a government entity has, including paper, email and DVDs.

The Data Practices Act also provides that North St. Paul - Maplewood - Oakdale Schools must keep all government data in a way that makes it easy for you, as a member of the public, to access public data. You have a right to look at (inspect), free of charge, all public data that we keep. You also have the right to get copies of public data. The Data Practices Act allows us to charge for copies. You have the right to look at data, free of charge, before deciding to request copies.

A written request is required to inspect data or request copies of data that North St. Paul - Maplewood - Oakdale Schools maintains. A form for requesting data is provided. However, a person may submit a request in writing via US Mail, fax, or email, with the following information:

• That you, as a member of the public, are requesting data under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13.
• Whether you would like to inspect the data, get copies of the data or both.
• Include a clear and specific description of the data you are requesting.

North St. Paul - Maplewood - Oakdale Schools cannot require a person to identify themselves or explain the reason for the data request. However, depending on how you would like us to process your request (i.e., you wish copies to be mailed to you), we may need some contact information. If you choose not to provide any identifying information, you will be required to contact the Data Practices Compliance Official to check on the status of your request. Also, if we do not understand your request and do not have a means to contact you, we will not be able to begin processing your request.

• If we do not have the data, we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible.
• If we have the data, but the data is not public, we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and state the specific law, which says the data is not public.
• If we have the data and it is public, we will respond to your request as soon as reasonably possible by doing one of the following:
  • Arrange a date, time and place to inspect the data, or
  • Provide you with copies of the data. You may choose to pick up the copies, or we can mail provided we have your contact information. Electronic copies will be provided upon request if the data is maintained in an electronic format. Payment for copies may be required.

If you do not understand some of the data, such as technical terminology, abbreviations, or acronyms, please contact us for an explanation.

If you request to inspect the data in person, a North St. Paul - Maplewood - Oakdale Schools staff member may be with you during your review.

The Data Practices Act does not require the District to create or collect new data in response to a data request if the District does 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. The Data Practices Act also does not require the District to answer questions that are not requests for 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. We will prepare summary data if you make your request in writing and pay for the cost of creating the data. 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.

North St. Paul - Maplewood - Oakdale Schools may charge members of the public for copies of government data as authorized under Minnesota Statutes, Section 13.03, subdivision 3(c). A member of the public must pay for copies before the school district provides the copies.

For 100 or fewer paper black and white copies - $.25 per page:

The charge for 100 or fewer pages of black and white, letter or legal sized paper, is $.25 for a one-sided copy and $.50 for a two-sided copy.

More than 100 copies or other types of copies - Actual Cost:

The charge for more than 100 pages of black and white paper copies or any other types of copies, is the actual cost of searching for and retrieving the data and making the copies or electronically transmitting the data.

The school district charges the actual cost for preparing summary data. Summary data are statistical records or reports that are prepared by removing all identifiers from private or confidential data on individuals.

In determining the actual cost, the school district includes the cost of employee time, the cost of materials (paper, DVD, etc.) and mailing costs (if any). If the request is for copies of data that the school district cannot reproduce itself such as photographs, it will charge the actual cost it must pay an outside vendor for the copies.

The cost of employee time to search for data, retrieve data and make copies is dependent upon the hourly wage of the lowest paid employee who can perform the work given the data privacy issues related to searching for the records.

If the request involves copies of public data that has commercial value and is a substantial and discrete portion of or an entire formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, process, database or system developed with a significant expenditure of public funds by the school district, the responsible authority may charge a reasonable fee for the information in addition to the costs of making and certifying the copies. Any fee charged must relate to the actual development costs of information. The responsible authority, upon request, shall provide sufficient documentation to explain the fee being charged.

• Student Name
• Grade
• Date of Birth
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Degrees, honors and awards received
• Most recent previous educational agency or institution attended
• Photos, such as those taken for yearbooks or other school/district publications (these purposes only)

*  Minnesota Statutes section 13.32 subd. 5 prohibits schools from designating a student's home address, telephone numbers, email addresses, or other personal contact information as directory information.