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Superintendent flags surge of coordinated public-records requests; legal counsel engaged
Summary
Superintendent Corinne Woodridge told the committee the district has received multiple similar public-records requests from the same source seeking contracts and supporting documents; she has contacted the district attorney and said staff may charge retrieval fees for extensive requests.
Superintendent Corinne Woodridge warned the Webster School Committee of a recent surge in public-records requests that appear coordinated and that have required significant staff time to respond. "Every day, I'm getting at least, I would say, 2 to 3 to 4 public records request[s]" from companies seeking contracts, purchase orders and supporting documentation, she said, and added she has reached out to legal counsel to determine what must be produced and what may be redacted.
Chair noted the pattern looks coordinated and said "they clearly know what they're going to appeal to the secretary of state," indicating the district should prepare for possible findings letters. Woodridge described the requests as often asking for material that is not simply a database extract — for example, contracts and supporting documents — and said the district may need to charge fees for voluminous or complex requests (the transcript references a $25/hour statutory cap in discussion of fees).
Woodridge said staff are preparing responses, seeking legal guidance on redaction and format, and will prioritize complying where required while protecting information the district is not obliged to disclose.
