Request for Public Data

Public Data Requests

St. Anthony–New Brighton Schools (the district) is committed to transparency, accountability, and public trust. As a Minnesota public school district, we comply with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA), which gives the public the right to access government data.

The MGDPA 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, DVDs, photographs and electronic media.

The MGDPA also provides that the district 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 the 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 MGDPA allows us to charge for copies. You have the right to look at data, free of charge, before deciding to request copies.

This information is based on model materials prepared by the Information and Policy Analysis Division of the Minnesota Department of Administration.

Legal References:
- Minn. Stat. Ch. 13 (Minnesota Government Data Practices Act)
- Minn. Stat. Ch. 14 (Minnesota Administrative Procedures Act)
- Minn. Stat. § 138.17 (Government Records; Administration)
- 5 U.S.C. § 552 (Freedom of Information Act (FOIA))

Cross References:
- Policy 406 (Public and Private Personnel Data)
- Policy 515 (Protection and Privacy of Student Records)

What is Government Data?

Government data includes all recorded information — whether paper, digital, video, or audio — that the district creates, collects, stores, or disseminates in the course of our work.

Examples of commonly requested data include:

School board meeting agendas and minutes
District policies and procedures
Adopted budgets and financial reports
Employee position titles and salaries
Contracts with vendors and consultants

Data Classifications

Not all data maintained by SANB is public. Per the MGDPA, data may be classified as:

Type	Who Can Access It?	Examples
Public	Anyone	Board agendas, district policies, staff titles
Private	Data subject + authorized staff	Student attendance, employee evaluations
Confidential	Only authorized personnel	Active investigations, anonymous complaints

We will inform you if any part of your request includes nonpublic or restricted data.

How to Request Public Data

Requests may be submitted via:

1. Complete Online Form
Providing your contact information is not required. However, to submit this form you must provide a valid email address.

Required

2. EMAIL:
Send a detailed description of the information you are requesting and how you want to receive it to: datarequest@isd282.org

3. MAIL:
Send a detailed description of the information you are requesting and how you want to receive it to: St. Anthony–New Brighton Schools, Attn: Data Practices Compliance, 3303 33rd Ave NE, St. Anthony, MN 55418.

Responding to Data Requests

Upon receiving a request for public data, the district will work to process the request. If the district does not understand the request, the district will ask for clarification.

If the district does not have the requested data, the district will notify the requester as soon as reasonably possible.
If the district has the data but the data are not public, the district will notify the requester as soon as reasonably possible and state which specific law states that the data are not public.
If the district has the data, and the data are public, the district will respond to the request appropriately and promptly within a reasonable amount of time. Response time depends on factors such as:
- The complexity and volume of the request
- Whether clarification is needed to identify the specific data requested
- How many data and/or copies are requested
- How many staff members are needed and available to respond to the request
- The number and breadth of other data requests the district is handling.

The MGDPA 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 the data are not already kept in that form or arrangement.

Under the MGDPA, the district is required to respond to requests for existing government data. The district is not required to answer questions, provide explanations, or create new data in response to a request. However, if you request data that contains explanations (e.g., a report, policy document, or analysis), the district will provide that data, as required.

Costs for Data Requests

While inspection of public data is free, the district is authorized to charge members of the public for copies of government data. A requestor of data may be required to pre-pay for copies before the district will give them to the requestor.

The charge for 100 or fewer pages of black and white, letter or legal size paper copies is 25¢ for a one-sided copy or 50¢ for a two-sided copy.
The charge for most other types of copies, when a charge is not set by statute or rule, is the actual cost of searching for and retrieving the data, and for making the copies or electronically transmitting the data.

In determining the actual cost of making copies, the district factors in the cost of employee time, the cost of the materials onto which the data is copied (paper, CD, DVD, etc.), and mailing costs (if any). If a request is for copies of data that the district cannot reproduce, such as photographs, the district will charge the actual cost the district must pay an outside vendor for the copies.

As allowed by law, the district will charge additional fees and costs for providing copies of data that have commercial value, providing data in a different form or arrangement, creating data, and preparing summary data.

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