Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Bamberg County School District (“District”) is committed to transparency and to providing public
records in accordance with the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The district will
provide access to records in its custody unless the records are exempt from disclosure under South
Carolina Code of Laws §30-4-40.

Submitting a FOIA Request

All FOIA requests must be submitted in writing and may be sent via email to foia@bambergschools.org or by mail to:

Bamberg County School District
ATTN: FOIA Request
3830 Faust Street
Bamberg, SC 29003

Requestors should provide detailed and specific information describing the records requested so the
district can accurately determine the scope of the request and estimate any associated costs.

*Please note that a substantial amount of information and records related to the school district are available on our website. To locate specific items, enter key words in the search bar (click the magnifying glass) located in the upper-right corner of the district’s webpage

Response Time

Upon receipt of a written FOIA request, Bamberg County School District will determine whether the
requested records are available and subject to disclosure under FOIA.

• For records less than two (2) years old, the district has ten (10) business days (excluding
  weekends and holidays) to acknowledge receipt of the request and notify the requestor of the
  availability of the records.
• For records more than two (2) years old, the district has twenty (20) business days to
  provide this notification.

If the records are determined to be available and not exempt from disclosure:

• Records less than two (2) years old will be produced within thirty (30) calendar days from the
  date of acknowledgment.
• Records more than two (2) years old will be produced within thirty-five (35) calendar days
  from the date of acknowledgment.

All deadlines may be extended by mutual written agreement between the requestor and the district.

Fee Schedule

Pursuant to South Carolina Code of Laws §30-4-430, fulfillment of FOIA requests may be subject to
fees for searching, retrieving, redacting, and copying records.

• Fees for search, retrieval, and redaction will not exceed the prorated hourly salary of the
  lowest-paid staff member qualified to perform the work.
• The current copy rate is $0.10 per page.
• If records are available electronically and the requestor elects to receive them in electronic
  format, there is no charge for copies.
• If records are not available electronically and must be converted to an electronic format, the
  district may charge for the staff time required to complete the conversion.
• Requests for records provided on a USB drive will incur a $10.00 fee.

The district may require a deposit not to exceed 25% of the total estimated cost prior to searching for
or copying records. Full payment of all remaining costs is required before records are released.

Special Notes

• Certain records are exempt from disclosure under FOIA or other applicable statutes and are
  not available for public inspection.
• The district is not required to create a public record if one does not already exist.
• South Carolina Code of Laws §30-2-50 prohibits the use of public records for commercial
  solicitation.
•  The district is exempt from providing records related to personnel matters; student records;
  tests or examinations used to evaluate student or employee performance; security-related
  records; records protected by attorney-client privilege; and executive session materials.

If you have questions regarding submitting a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Bamberg
County School District, please call 803-245-3053.