Terrebonne committee approves update to public records policy to align with state law and fee practice

The Education Technology and Policy Committee of the Terrebonne Parish School Board approved revisions to Policy File B-14, the district policy governing administrative records, to align the district’s public records procedures with a change in state law and with fees the district already has been charging.

Committee member Rebecca Broome told the committee that the changes affect the section on duplication of records and public-records requests, including requiring requesters to submit requests in writing and allowing the district to charge a "reasonable fee" rather than limiting charges to the actual cost of copies or after-hours staff time. Broome said the fee schedule was revised about six to eight months ago and has been posted on the district website and used in practice.

Board members discussed the increase in the number of public-records requests in recent years and the workload created when some requesters publish requested records online. One board member said some people who request records now monetize those records through online videos, producing additional work for the district and providing part of the rationale for adopting a reasonable fee in policy.

A motion to approve the revision of Policy File B-14, "Administrative Records," was made, seconded and approved by the committee with no recorded opposition.

The revised policy text and the fee schedule were included in meeting materials. The committee did not provide a numeric vote tally in the transcript; the motion is recorded in the meeting minutes as approved.

Committee members and staff at the meeting identified the change as a technical alignment to state law and to the district's current implementation of a posted fee schedule. The transcript references a change in state law but does not name the statute or a citation; the committee packet is the locus for the final policy language and fee schedule.