West Grand Schools Score
Notes
East Grand Schools Score
Notes
General notes
Partial agendas in 2010-‐2011, all agendas since 2011-‐2012.Packets available. Minutes since 2009-‐2010
Websites are becoming extremely important to the voting public. They can serve to alleviate the need for copying fees and records research/retrieval fees. If governments are proactive in posting information and making records available online, it saves government staff the exercise of answering phone calls and responding to simple records requests, and it saves the public from having to pay sometimes ridiculous fees for retrieval. The more transparent the website, the better for everyone.
Minutes & agendas posted for past three years (5) Bonus for posting board meeting packet (+2)
4
Agendas and minutes since 2011, packets available. Budgets, financial reports, audits all avaiable, but only for past two years (-‐1). Check registers aslo available for current year
4
Personalized contact info, including phone numbers and emails, for all board members. Personalized emails for all staff, but not phone numbers (-‐ 1)
7 Budget/expenditures posted for past three years (5)
7
3
Budgets and finacial statements since 2009-‐2010 Key staff only have emails, not The public is entitled to contact information of the people it phone numbers (-‐1). Board of elects for representation. Contact information should be on education page only lists members' each government website, and should be easy to find. emails. Their phone numbers are avaiable for two members via a "contacts" column on the right side of the BOE page, but this is confusing. (-‐1) There is a "student achievement data" link on the "About EGSD" page, but there is no information available after clicking the link. Eventually this information is found by clicking "District/School Improvement Plans" on the same page. (confusing, -‐.5) Within these links is the Colorado Department of Education's data on School Performance Frameworks. While these documents generally explain TCAP tests are administered and note the district's performance, the school district could do a better job At a minumum, school district websites should include an in explaning what the numbers accountability report each year, which includes test results mean and what they show about the from end-‐of-‐year state tests. Per Ballotpedia: "Those annual district's performance. No actual reports must also include a host of other factors about "accountability report" was found. (-‐ teachers and students, all specified in federal law. They are 1). Tax information is avaible in PDF required to state which standaridzed tests are administered documents, including the budget, to students as well as the district's performance. Websites under the "Finance Page." While all should also publish information on the tax burden for those the information is therefore living within the district, which includes taxes levied and a available on the website, it takes revenue breakdown by federal, state and local taxes in the some digging. (-‐.5) budget.
0
No procedure or fees found.
5
Contact information of elected officials/staff (5)
Taxes and test scores posted (5)
0
The district page has a "student performance" page, but this mostly includes links to the Colorado Department of Education to get any information. Information on school adminstered tests and school performance is available in the Unified Improvement Plan PDF document, generated through CDE. The district could do a better job explaining what the numbers mean and what they show about the district's performance. No actual "accountability report" was found (-‐ 1). A revenue breakdown is available in the budget PDF online, but we couldn't find any information on levied taxes (-‐1). The tax burden information is not easy to find (-‐.5) NOTE: Since the Sky-‐Hi brought this to her attention, the district's financial director Martha Schake immediately added the tax burden information to the website. No procedure or fees found. Furthermore, the district adminstrative assistant to the board and superintendent, who the public would most likely contact for records, has her own page but it does not include her name or contact information, which is very confusing.
4
The website generally explains when meetings are held, but does not have specific dates. It does include a public comment procedure explanation as well. It says meetings held "on second Tuesday of every month unless otherwise posted," but it's not clear where this will be posted. Meetings are, however, included on the homepage monthly calendar. Ultimately, the meetings notification is available on the website, but it's confusing and hard to find. (-‐1)
Website
2.5 Open records procedures and fees published (5)
Meetings notification (5)
Total (out of 30)
21.5
Meetings notifications are available on some of the district's calendars, but not on others. This is confusing. (-‐ .5), although we like that the meeting notification can be found on the calendar on the home page.
4.5
Agendas thoroughness (10)
Both agendas and packets lack detail, and provide a very bare-‐ bones explanation of what will be discussed. Generally, however, more detail on specific agenda items is included with the agenda packets, so we only subtract half the points we would have otherwise. (-‐1.5) Provide neither a place nor address where meeting is held (-‐1). Times for agenda items are provided. Public comment period is listed as "public address," but provides no instructions to participate. We appreciate that additions and revisions to the agenda are specified 7.5 with red type.
9.5
Minutes thoroughness (10)
10
Minutes provide excellent detail. Although we couldn't find a case of a board member voting "no" or abstaining," votes are specifically set apart as a roll-‐call vote. Absent board members are also specified in the roll call votes.
10
Agendas list place of meeting as "district office," but do not provide an address. (-‐.5) Provides good description of discussion items, answering the "why I should care" question, except for "roundtables," which deserves an explanation of what that is. Provides times each item will be discussed. Also calls out when board is likely to vote on different items. On a column to the right, provides a description of the "action requested" on each agenda item. Public comment section is clearly called out as "opportunity for audience" and has detailed instructions of how to participate. Agendas also provide advance notice Agendas should aspire to answer "why should I care?" They of exective sessions, along with the should be clear as to what public officials are really doing and general legal rationale for each. discussing. The more detail, the better. Not as much detail as some minutes, There is no law on how minutes should be executed, so there but sufficiently thorough to have an is little way to avoid subjectivity. We gave high scores for the understanding of what happened minutes most like transcripts. The best scenario is to actually and what was discussed. Votes are be at the meeting, but when that is not possible, minutes can called out in roll-‐call style every serve to give a thorough rundown of meeting details, time, with a very specific record of including discussions. Citizens are entitled to read the who votes in favor, who votes opinions of elected officials on all topics as one way to hold against, who abstains and who is them accountable. absent. Minutes work to follow order of agenda outline. Appreciate that minutes are recorded for workshops as well.
0
District secretary Linda Haynes said "We have opted to only furnish minutes that have been approved by the board of education. Anyone is welcome to come in and listen to the recording of the meeting any time."
2
Draft minutes provided by request.
Since it sometimes takes weeks to get minutes approved by a board, we commend governments that share minutes in draft form. According to attorneys with the Colorado Press Assocation, draft minutes are public record and should be made available.
2
Yes 40 out of 140 meetings had executive sessions, or just over 38 percent. We recognize school districts have a great number of employees with personnel issues and sensitive student discussions, so we didn't dock as many points for the high rate of these sessions The less executive sessions, or closed meetings, the better in compared to towns and the county. the spirit of transparency. We asked for meeting minutes directly before and after an executive session to ensure votes out of session in relation to an executive session are properly recorded. It's important to note, the Colorado Sunshine laws specify that when calling an executive meeting into session, boards should provide as much detail as possible about what that executive session will Provide good legal rationale and be about. For example, "negotiations," "personnel issue" or enough detail to understand, "discussions with the attorney about legal matters" are too generally what was discussed. vague of reasons and would require more information.
Draft minutes available (2 BONUS) Automatic email notifciation (2 BONUS)
Exectuve Sessions -‐ infrequency (5)
Executive Sessions -‐ discussion before and after inp public session (5) Total (out of 30) Budget -‐ ease of navigation (10)
2
Yes 30 executive sessions out of 79 meetings total, or just under 38 percent. We recognize school districts have a great number of employees with personnel issues and sensitive student discussions, so we didn't dock as many points for the high rate of these sessions compared to towns and the county
4
Provide good legal rationale and enough detail to understand, generally what was discussed.
5 28.5
The budget is broken up into very specific, very clear sections, which helps make it less intimidating. It does not have an executive summary to help the reader make sense of trends or funds, but it does have a one-‐page outline that helps summarize the budget (-‐2). It does not have a table of contents (-‐2), but very large heading pages do help with navigation. Provides comparisons since 2010, and 2009 in some cases.
6 Budget -‐ charts and graphs (5) Budget -‐ executive summary (5)
0
No charts or graphs. No executive summary, but does have a general outline and opening spreadhseet that summarize information. They're not much help for readers trying to make sense of the budget and trends.
1 Detailed expense reports (10)
Total (out of 30) Fees (5)
Includes check number, date, vendor ID, vendor name, and a general discription of what the payment is for. Very good check register overall, and they're posted each month.
10 17
Records Request
The district only charges 22 cents per page for copies, less than the 25-‐ cent maximum allowed per law, and no research or retrieval fees.
5 Response/fulfillment of request (5)
Total (out of 10)
TOTALS
There should be no suprises when a person request records from a government agency. Reasonable fees should be clearly outlined to prevent this.
22.5
Meetings
Financials
3
Provided all requested information, expect fee information. Reponded within three days of request.
5 10
77
C+
4
5 32.5
The budget includes a table of contents for navigation, and a general fund summary, but no executive summary (-‐2). Funds have clear headings, but overall this budget is very large and tedious to navigate and make sense of. Figures are in very small type. (-‐2) Only provides comparisons since 2012, could go further back.
6 0
Finance details are not everyone's cup of tea, so we encourage government agencies to make budget information as accessable as possible so that every citizen — not just the master accountants — can understand it.
No charts or graphs. No executive summary, but has a general fund summary on page 3. It's not a lot of help for readers trying to make sense of budget and trends in plain language. Includes check number, date paid, the vendor name, amount paid, but does not say what checks are for (-‐ Daily expense reports should show, in the least, check 2). Pages are in a small type font and numbers, the dates, the names checks were issued to, what somewhat intimidating to read. the checks were for and the amounts. Pertinant budget Posted each month. information related to checks would be helpful as well.
1
8 15
A $0-‐$25 research and retrieval fee has been deemed "reasonable" per the Colorado Court of Appeals. There is no existing open records fee cap in Colorado, but current proposed legislation HB 1193 as currently written seeks to establish a fee cap at four-‐times the minimum wage, or at $32 an hour. http://coloradofoic.org/what-‐is-‐a-‐reasonable-‐cora-‐ fee/ State statute caps copy fees at 25 cents per page, but a recent piece from Complete Colorado challenges this fee, saying it far exceeds the actual costs of copying. District charges 25 cents per page for http://completecolorado.com/pagetwo/2014/03/08/photoco copies, and no research or retrieval py-‐costs-‐10-‐cents-‐or-‐less-‐but-‐governments-‐still-‐charge-‐25-‐ fees. cents-‐for-‐open-‐records/ A Colorado Open Records Request requires a government agency to respond to a request within three working days. If the request requires additional research and work, seven days Fully responded and fufilled request may be granted to fulfill the request.
5
5 10
80
B-‐