Request for Public Information

Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, gives you the right to access government records; and an officer for public information and the officer’s agent may not ask you why you want them. All government information is presumed to be available to the public. Certain expectations may apply to the disclosure of the information. Governmental bodies shall promptly release requested information that is not confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision, or information for which an exception to disclosure has not been sought.

Texas Public Information Request

Making a Request
The request must be submitted in writing and must ask for records or information already in existence. The Act does not require a governmental body to create new information, to do legal research, or to answer questions.

Charges to the Requestor
A person may ask to view the information, get copies of the information or both. If a request is for copies of information, the governmental body may charge for the copies. If a request is only for an opportunity to inspect information, then usually the governmental body may not impose a charge on the requestor. However, under certain limited circumstances, a governmental body may impose a charge for access to information.

Responsibilities of Requestors
All people who request public information have the responsibility to:

  • Submit a written request according to a governmental body’s reasonable procedures
  • Include enough description and detail of the requested information so the governmental body can accurately identify and locate the requested items
  • Cooperate with the governmental body’s reasonable requests to clarify the type or amount of information requested

  • Bond Information
  • AP Check Registers
  • Board Meeting Agendas and Minutes
  • Board Policy Manual
  • Budget
  • Debt Information
  • Enrollment Statistics
  • Financial Audits
  • Payroll Costs
  • Salary Schedules
  • School Calendar
  • Superintendent’s Contract

  • Labor – $15.00/hour
  • Miscellaneous supplies – actual cost
  • Other electronic media – actual cost
  • Overhead Charge – 20% of labor charge
  • Postage and shipping – actual cost
  • Programming Labor – $28.50/hour
  • Standard paper copy – $.10 per page

How to submit a Public Information Request

  1. Submit a request in writing by mail, e-mail, or in person:
    • Mail: Flour Bluff ISD, Public Information Officer, 2505 Waldron Road, Corpus Christi, TX 78418
    • E-mail: info@flourbluffschools.net
    • In Person: Flour Bluff ISD Central Administration Office, 2505 Waldron Road, Corpus Christi, TX 78418
  2. Include enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the District to accurately identify and locate the information requested.
  3. Cooperate with the District’s reasonable efforts to clarify the type or amount of information requested.

Although an application for requesting public information is not required by law, it is helpful to the District to ensure the information requested is formatted correctly, includes appropriate detail of information requested and ensures the District can contact the requestor with any questions or clarifications.

Procedures to Obtain Information

Information that may be withheld due to an exception

  • If a governmental body determines the requested information is not subject to a previous determination or a statute that allows the information to be withheld without requesting a ruling, by the 10th business day after a governmental body receives your written request, a governmental body must:
    1. request an Attorney General Letter Decision and state which exception apply;
    2. notify the requestor of the referral to the Attorney General; and
    3. notify third parties if the request involves their proprietary information.
  • Failure to request an Attorney General Letter Decision and notify the requestor within 10 business days will result in presumption that the information is open unless there is a compelling reason to withhold it.
  • Requestors may send a letter to the Attorney General arguing for release, and may review arguments made by the governmental body. If the arguments disclose the requested information, the requestor may obtain a redacted copy.
  • The Attorney General must issue a decision no later than the 45th working day from the day after the attorney general received the request for a decision. The attorney general may request an additional 10 working day extension.
  • Governmental bodies may not ask the Attorney General to “reconsider” a decision.

Cost of Records

  • You must respond to any written estimate of charges within 10 days of the date the governmental body sent it or the request is considered automatically withdrawn.
  • As authorized by law, the District may charge a requester for additional personnel time spent producing information for the requester after personnel of the District have collectively spent:
    1. 36 hours of time during the District’s fiscal year; or
    2. 15 hours of time during a one-month period.