Comments on: Why We Need Online Checkbooks, Pt. II

By: nope

nope — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:04:59 +0000

I certainly agree that the response was ludicrous. I’m not one who believes that districts waste massive amounts of money, but my experience is that they do too often forget who pays them. There is no place for arrogance in public service.

By: Fashizzle

Fashizzle — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:44:50 +0000

Baker raises a good point. But the Policy Council’s call for posting expenditure data online would remove any one organization’s personal definition of waste and let each person decide for themselves. The fact that Beaufort wants to charge $200,000 to produce public documents just shows there is information in those records they would prefer stay secret. No matter your position on school choice, we can all agree that the district’s tactics here are clearly intended to avoid public disclosure. After all, the FOIA law clearly states districts can waive all charges if the request benefits the public interest.

By: baker

baker — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:43:00 +0000

That school district’s response to the FOI request seems absurd to me. That one district shouldn’t represent all across the state, but I do think that school districts — some more than others — are too often resistent about public information.

Of course, I also think it’s absurd for the Policy Council (and others) to continue with this claim about “non-classroom” expenditures — that the majority of money doesn’t make it to the classroom — when they include librarians and guidance counselors and other essentials (all required by state or federal law…not just the SCDOE) in the category suggesting bureaucratic waste.

By: lisa

lisa — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:29:12 +0000

The feds are the same way. I sent an FOIA request last year, no response from the real agency.