Californians Aware
HomeCalAwareSupportProgramsNewsResourcesStore
Mission Text LOGIN +
sunscribe
Info for Citizens
Info for Public Officials
Info for Journalists
Info for Attorneys

Support CalAware Support CalAware Become a Member Volunteer Donate

Brought to you by

Cooper White Cooper

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player


FOLSOM-CORDOVA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
» Legal Compliance Scoring
» Customer Service Scoring
» Auditor Narrative
» CalAware Reaction

Legal Compliance

Deduct the following from 100 points :

Was the requester denied the ability to make the request? No (-0 points)
Explanation: When the agency refuses to receive the request or pass it along to the appropriate party.
Did the agency deny access to any of the Form 700s? Yes (-10 points)
Explanation: When the agency refuses to allow access to any of the completed Form 700s for any reason.
Was photo ID required? No (-0 points)
Explanation: When the agency requires the requester to produce photo ID as a condition of the access.
Was the requester's name required? No (-0 points)
Explanation: When the agency requires the requester to provide their name as a condition of the access.  
Was the requester's affiliation required? No (-0 points)
Explanation: When the agency requires the requester to provide their affiliation as a condition of the access.
Was the requester required to state their purpose? No (-0 points)
Explanation: When the agency requires the requester to explain the reason they are making the request and/or what they will do with the materials produced as a condition of the access.
Was a written request required? No (-0 points)
Explanation:When the agency requires that requests be made in writing (refuse to acknowledge oral requests).
Were the Form 700s produced by the legally compliant deadline (within 48 after making the request)? (not applicable)
Was the requester only allowed to view (not copy) the Form 700s? (not applicable)
Was the requester charged a fee to view the Form 700s? (not applicable)
Was the copy fee for the Form 700s within the legally compliant maximum
(10¢ per page)?
(not applicable)
Was the letter of determination received within 10 days (or 24 days, if a 14 day extension was requested)? Never Produced
(-35 points)
Did the agency deny access to any of the items in the written request? (not applicable)
Total Points Deducted : 45
Final Score : 55
Grade : F

Customer Service

Deduct the following from 100 points :

Was agency staff courteous? Yes (-0 points)
Explanation:When agency staff are polite and professional
Was agency staff helpful? Yes (-0 points)
Explanation:When agency staff try to help the requester succeed with his or her request.
Was the requester referred to another agency altogether? No (-0 points)
Explanation: When the agency refuses to fulfill the request, and instead sends the requester to another agency.
BONUS! Did the agency have any public records request guidelines (or policy) posted? No (+0 points)
Explanation: When the agency conspicuously posts procedural guidelines in its main lobby area to help the public navigate their agency when making public record requests (worth 10 extra credit points).
Total Points Deducted : 0
Final Score : 100
Grade : A+
Top

Auditor Narrative (auditor Julia Baum):


I arrived at the Folsom Cordova Unified School District office at about 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, 2009. A blonde receptionist named Tanya greeted me at the front desk. She was friendly and asked me if I needed any help. I explained to her that I was looking for a copy of the Form 700; she called a supervisor that was in the building somewhere else. The supervisor (a woman whose name I forget) told her to tell me to visit a webpage. Tanya wrote down the address for me and was polite when I asked what her name was and did not seem suspicious or wary of me for it. I remember looking around for any obvious Form 700 or public records information and did not see any at all in the small portable building. It's unfortunate that I lost the piece of paper with the supervisor's name and the website address on it, I believe that my boyfriend threw it out thinking it was a piece of scrap paper. Tanya told me that her supervisor said to call her if I had any problems with the website during my search. Her supervisor did no say that I couldn't have access to the records, but she also did not lead me to them as efficiently and effectively as is expected. My written request received a very different response, however, which the document I received spoke entirely for itself.

Top

CalAware Reaction (Terry Francke, General Counsel):


The district office staff mistakenly believed that the Form 700s were on a website somewhere and did not appear to realize that the district was required to keep them on file in paper form for public review; consequently no effort was made to fulfill the auditor's request for copies. The district's law firm provided a prompt acknowledgment of having received the written request for other information and said a search was being done for those records. Otherwise it simply listed exemptions from disclosure under the California Public Records Act which it might or would apply to some of the requested information, including records of personnel discipline and student expulsion. But other than this communication, no determination letter or even an announcement of extension had been provided 25 days after the request.

Top