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Request Public Records

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Citizens and members of the media are encouraged to submit informal requests for information to the Office of Communications. These requests will be handled as expeditiously as possible, but will not be considered requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Chapter 4, Title 30, Code of Laws of South Carolina or any other formal legal code.

Submitting a FOIA Request
Requests for official public records made under South Carolina’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) can be submitted by sending a written request to:

Becky Bean, Director of Communications
Kershaw County School District
2029 W. DeKalb Street
Camden, SC  29020
(803) 432-8416 ext. 1229
becky.bean@kcsdschools.net

FOIA provides the public with access to existing non-exempt, official records of a public agency, but does not require the district to generate or create records. Certain categories of documents may be withheld, such as personnel records; student records; test and examinations used to evaluate student or employee performance; records relating to the security of students, staff and property; records protected from disclosure under attorney-client privileges; executive session materials, etc.

All requests for documents are subject to charges based upon, but not limited to, staff time and the cost of copying and printing materials.

FOIA Response Guidelines and Fee Schedule
All requests will be responded to within the time required by South Carolina law. The initial response will notify the requestor as to whether the requested information will be released or withheld due to a specific exemption in the FOIA.

The Kershaw County School District (KCSD) does not charge for requests that take less than an hour to process or less than ten pages to copy. KCSD does not charge for the examination and review of documents to determine if they are subject to disclosure.  If fees are assessed, a 25 percent deposit will be required before work will begin on the FOIA request.  Any remaining fees must be paid before the completed request is released.

Charges to requestors are as follows:

  • $0.13 per page for black and white copies;
  • $0.49 per page for color copies;
  • The actual costs of mailing copies;
  • Actual time that an employee(s) must spend in order to comply with the request. The fee for the search, retrieval, or redaction of records will not exceed the prorated hourly salary of the lowest paid employee who, in the reasonable discretion of the custodian of the records, has the necessary skill and training to perform the request.