In accordance with "An Act to Improve Public Records," Chapter 121 of the Acts of 2016, Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District has provided the following information in compliance with the new act effective January 1, 2017.
\ Public Records Requests - Please read the information below before submitting a request Make a Public Records Request On June 3, 2016, Governor Baker signed into law "An Act to Improve Public Records," enhancing public access to information. That law went into effect January 1, 2017. What is a Public Record? The Commonwealth of Massachusetts broadly defines what constitutes a public record. The public records law includes nearly all documentary materials or data of any form generated, received or maintained by the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District, its employees, boards, committees and commissions. In order to protect certain privacy and security interests, there are certain narrowly defined statutory exemptions prohibiting particular public records, or portions thereof, from disclosure. A list of exemptions may be found at Chapter 4, Section 7(26) of the Massachusetts General Laws. For more information, follow this link: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/preinformation.htm
What is a Public Records Request? A public records request is a request to either inspect, copy or both, public records. There is no requirement that the request be made in person or in writing, or be in any particular form. The person making the request is not required to identify themselves, or to provide information about the reason for the request or how the records will be used. The request must be clear enough to enable the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District to conduct a meaningful search. The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District may ask questions about the request in order to respond to the request fully and in a timely manner. The State acknowledges that access to information is a fundamental and necessary right of every citizen. The following information is offered to guide the public in gaining access to public records in the custody of the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District. The information and lists contained herein are not exhaustive, and any questions or concerns regarding public records should be directed to the Records Access Officer.
Under Massachusetts law, every person has a right to access public government records. Not all records are public, and you may need to pay a fee to get them.
How to obtain Public Records The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional encourages you to use the Request a Public Record link to make a public records request of the School District. This helps to ensure the most expeditious and accurate response to your request. Otherwise, written requests may be delivered by hand, mail, or email. Cost of Public Records Request Research Cost There is no cost for the first two hours of time we need to find records. After two hours, the fee is no more than $25.00 per hour. When we review a request, we will provide you an estimate of how much the research will cost. Paper Copies of Records The Public Schools of Brookline departments assume you would like electronic copies of records if we have them. The cost of black and white paper copies of documents is $.05 per page.
\ Tips Each request is processed in the order in which it is received. Various factors affect processing time, including the request’s size and complexity, and nature of the records sought.
Public Records Law and Resources On June 3, 2016, Governor Baker signed into law "An Act to Improve Public Records," enhancing public access to information. That law went into effect January 1, 2017. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts broadly defines what constitutes a public record. The public records law includes nearly all documentary materials or data of any form generated, received or maintained by the Town, its employees, boards, committees and commissions. In order to protect certain privacy and security interests, there are certain narrowly defined statutory exemptions prohibiting particular public records, or portions thereof, from disclosure. A list of public records that are exempt may be found. The following information is offered to guide the public in gaining access to public records in the custody of the Town. The information and lists contained herein are not exhaustive, and any questions or concerns regarding public records should be directed to the Records Access Officer.
CONTACT US Judy MacDougall Schools Records Access Officer (RAO) Email: [jmacdougall@bridge-rayn.org ](mailto:jmacdougall@bridge-rayn.org)Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District
Student Records Request According to Massachusetts Education Laws and Regulations, eligible students and parents shall be able to request access to all student educational records.
Requests for student records should be sent to your child’s school. Special Education records can be sent directly to the Office of Student Services.
\ What is a Student Record? Student Records include, but are not limited to, standardized test scores, evaluations by counselors, attendance rates, parent/teacher correspondence, email correspondence between staff, discipline files, etc. More information on what constitutes a student record can be found in MA 603 CMR 23.00. The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District is committed to safeguarding the privacy of student information and has created this process as a way to ensure all student records requests are handled securely and consistently throughout the district. What is a Student Records Request? Requests must always be made by a parent/guardian and/or legal representative but may be delivered to a third party with consent from the parent/guardian. Most often, third parties consist of attorneys or advocates acting on behalf of the family. Requests for student records can fall within four different categories: