Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
In compliance with South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act (Section 30-4-20), the School District of Oconee County is required to post "public record" information regarding the school district. In regards to this law, "public record" is defined as “all books, papers, maps, photographs, cards, tapes, recordings, or other documentary material regardless of physical form or characteristics prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by a public body.” If the information you are seeking is not found in documents posted on this website, you may request copies of existing documents in writing. FOIA requests should be submitted to:
School District of Oconee County
Office of the Superintendent
414 South Pine Street, Walhalla, SC 29691
Requests may be emailed to Sandra Bay
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The written request should include the following:
- Requestor’s full name
- Address
- Email address
- Date of submission
- Phone number
- Detailed description of requested documents
- Statement concerning requestor’s willingness to pay applicable fees
Requests may be submitted via email to Sandra Bay
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Section 30-4-30 (B) of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act allows the school district to charge “reasonable fees” for the “search, retrieval, or redaction of records.” The fees must represent the “lowest possible cost” and cannot exceed the actual costs of performing the FOIA request and making copies. If it is determined that the information requested is “primarily benefitting the general public,” fees can be reduced or waived.
Employee Hourly Fees
Clerical - $25/hour
Administrative - $60/hourOther fees
Copies - $0.10/copy -
The Freedom of Information Act does not require the creation or generation of records that do not already exist or for requested information be formatted in a specific manner or file type. Certain records may be exempted from release; those exemptions are specified in S.C. Code Section 30-4-40. Please note: that South Carolina law prohibits the obtaining or using public records for commercial solicitation directed at any person.
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Under FOIA, the School District of Oconee County has 10 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) to respond to the request indicating whether the requested record is available. Once initial notification has taken place, the district has an additional 30 calendar days to produce the requested material. For requests of records that are more than 24 months old, the initial notification deadline is 15 business days. The deadline for producing the requested material is extended to 35 calendar days. All deadlines may be extended by mutual agreement between the district and the requester.