The Iowa Public Information Board (IPIB) rendered a decision in a complaint filed by a constituent against the Highland School District. In June, Abby Sojka filed a formal complaint, claiming the district had violated Iowa Code chapter 22 in quoting fees in excess of the amounts allowed by Iowa Code prior to retrieving, reviewing and releasing public records that she had requested. Sojka had approached the district via email, that she be allowed to review credit card statements, receipts, contracts and bank statements from August 2015 to May 2018, the comprehensive list of assets of the district, all internal audit reports from 2016 to 2018, documentation for grant monitoring processes, and financial and policy manuals used by the district. A district official responded to her inquiry, citing that the materials she requested may total as many as several hundred thousand pages. To comply, the district requested payment of $697.20, as the estimated cost of retrieving and reviewing records, by multiplying the base pay for the school manager of $34.86 by the 20 hours estimated to fill the request.

Correspondence continued between the two parties regarding the request, including Sojka disputing the district’s need to review records prior to her possession, whether the district would improperly redact portions of the records, and whether the district should require fees. Sojka was informed by district legal counsel that review is necessary to ensure no confidential information is released. The IPIB determined there was no evidence of improper redaction in the records. It was also determined that the costs outlined by the district were not out of the ordinary based on the volume of records requested. Under Iowa Code section 23.8, the IPIB determined the complaint does not have merit and was dismissed.