Wappingers Central School District

You have a right to see public records: 

Download a copy of the Application for Public Access to Records Form [pdf]

The Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), which took effect on September 1, 1974, gives you the right of access to certain public records. The Wappingers Central School District has adopted regulations governing when, where, and how you can see public records. The regulations can be seen at all places where records are kept.

Please click on Policy 1120-R to review the policy which was adopted 4/19/16.

1. Purpose and Scope
2. Designation of Records Access Officer
3. Designation of Fiscal Officer
4. Location
5. Hours for Public Inspection
6. Requests for Public Access to Records
7. Denials of Access to Records
8. Fees
9. Public Notice
10. Severability

Section 1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE 
(a) The people's right to know the process of government decision making and the documents and statistics leading to determinations is basic to our society. Access to such information should not be thwarted by shrouding it with the cloak of secrecy or confidentiality.

(b) These regulations provide information concerning the procedures by which records may be obtained.

(c) Personnel shall furnish to the public the information and records required by the Freedom of Information Law and those which were furnished to the public prior to it's enactment.

(d) Any conflicts among laws governing public access to records shall be construed in favor of the widest possible availability of public records.

Section 2 DESIGNATION OF RECORDS ACCESS OFFICER
(a) The Superintendent of Schools is responsible for insuring compliance with the regulations herein, and designates the following person as records access officer:

Kristen Dainty, Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Business Development
Wappingers Central School District
25 Corporate Park Drive
PO Box 396
Hopewell Junction, NY 12533
kristen.dainty@wcsdny.org

(b) The Records access officer is responsible for insuring appropriate agency response to public requests for access to records. However, the public shall not be denied access to records through officials who have in the past been authorized to make records or information available.

Records access officer shall assure that personnel:

Section 3 DESIGNATION OF FISCAL OFFICER
(a) Kristen Dainty, the Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Business Development in the Wappingers Central School District, is designated the fiscal officer, who shall certify the payroll and respond to requests, in accordance with Section 6, for and itemized record setting forth the name, address, title and salary of every officer or employee of the agency.

(b) The Fiscal Officer shall make the payroll items listed above available to any person including bona fide members of the news media as required under Section 88 (1) (g), (1) (I), and (10) of the Freedom of Information Law upon submission of appropriate form.

Section 4 LOCATION 
Records shall be available for public inspection and copying at the school building in which they are kept.

Brinckerhoff Elementary School
16 Wedgewood Road
Fishkill, NY 12524

James S. Evans Elementary School
747 Sergeant Palmateer Way
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590

Fishkill Elementary School
20 Church Street
Fishkill, NY 12524

Fishkill Plains Elementary School
17 Lake Walton Road
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590

Gayhead Elementary School
15 Entry Road
Hopewell Junction, NY 12533

John Jay Senior High School
2012 Route 52
Hopewell Junction, NY 12533

Roy C. Ketcham Senior High School
99 Myers Corners Road
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590

Kinry Road Elementary School
58 Kinry Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

Myers Corners Elementary School
156 Myers Corners Road
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590

Oak Grove Elementary School
40 Kerr Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Orchard View Alternative School
25 Corporate Park Drive
Hopewell Junction, NY  12533

Sheafe Road Elementary School
287 Sheafe Road
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590

Van Wyck Junior High School
10 Hillside Lake Road
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590

Vassar Road Elementary School
174 Vassar Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

Wappingers Junior High School
30 Major MacDonald Way
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590

Business and Central Office files are located at: 
Wappingers Central School District
25 Corporate Park Drive
Hopewell Junction, NY 12533

Section 5 HOURS FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION
Requests for public access to records shall be accepted and records produced during all hours regularly open for business, usually 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Check with specific office.

Section 6 REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC ACCESS TO RECORDS 
(a) Where a request for records is required, such request may be oral, in writing, or via email. The District shall attempt, where possible, to respond to email requests via email. However, written requests shall not be required for records that have been customarily available without written request.

(b1) Except under extraordinary circumstances, officials shall respond to a request for records immediately, if possible, and no more than five business days after receipt of request.

(b2) If, because of extraordinary circumstances, more than five business days are required to respond to a request, receipt of the request shall be acknowledged within five business days after the request is received. The acknowledgment shall state the reason for delay and estimate the date when a reply will be made. If the request cannot be granted within 20 business days from the date of acknowledgment of the request, the District will state, in writing, both the reason the request cannot be granted within 20 business days, and a date certain within a reasonable period when it will be granted, depending upon the circumstances of the request.       

(c) A request for access to records should be sufficiently detailed to identify the records. Where possible, the requester should supply information regarding dates, titles, file designations or other information which may help identify the records. However, a request for any or all records falling within a specific category conforms to the standard that records be identifiable.

(d 1) A current list, by subject matter, of all records produced, filed, or first kept or promulgated after September 1, 1974, 
shall be available for public inspection and copying. The list shall be sufficiently detailed to permit the requester to properly identify the category of the records sought.(d2) The subject matter list shall be updated periodically and the date of the most recent updating shall appear on the first
page. The updating of the subject matter list shall not be less than semiannually.

(e) No records may be removed by the requester from the office where the record is located without the permission of the Superintendent of Schools or his designee.

Section 7 DENIAL OF ACCESS TO RECORDS
(a) Denial of access to records shall be in writing stating the reason therefore, and advising the requester of the right to appeal to the individual or body established to hear appeals.
(b) If requested records are not provided promptly, as required in Section 6 (b) of these regulations, such failure shall also be deemed a denial of access.

(c) The following person or persons or body shall hear appeals for denial of access to records under the Freedom of Information Law:

Superintendent of Schools
Wappingers Central School District
25 Corporate Park Drive, PO Box 396
Hopewell Junction, NY 12533
(845) 298-5000, x40145

(d) The time for deciding an appeal by the individual or body designated to hear appeals shall commence upon receipt of written appeal identifying:

1. The date of the appeal.
2. The date and location of the requests for records.
3. The records to which the requester was denied access.
4. Whether the denial of access was in writing or was by failure to provide records promptly as required by Section 6 (b).
5. The name and return address of the requester.

(e) The Superintendent of Schools shall inform the requester of its decision in writing within seven business days of receipt of an appeal.

(f) A final denial of access to a requested record, as provided for in subdivision (e) of this section, shall be subject to court review, as provided for in Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules.

Section 8 FEES
Fees for providing a member of the public or a representative of the news media with a copy or a transcript:

• Photocopy - $.25 per page (Note: this includes photocopies necessitated by a request for documents in an electronic format requiring redactions).
• In cases of records not ordinarily reproduced by copy machines, the actual cost of transcribing same will be charged.

All fees are payable upon receipt of the copies requested to the person providing the copies. Payment should be by check or money order, made payable to the Wappingers Central School District. Payments up to $1.00 may be made in cash. A written receipt will be provided in all cash transactions. All monies will be forwarded to the Business Office with a memo indicating for what the money was collected.

Section 9 PUBLIC NOTICE 
A notice containing the job title or name and business address of the records access officer and fiscal officer; the name, job title, business address and telephone number of the appeal person or persons or body; and the location where records can be seen or copied, shall be posted in a conspicuous location in each building Main Office, the office of the Superintendent of Schools, the Business Office, and the office of the Executive Director for Human Resources.

Section 10 SEVERABILITY 
If any provision of these regulations or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is adjudged invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such judgment shall not affect or impair the validity of the other provisions of these regulations or the application thereof to other persons and circumstances.