Conducting the People’s Business: The Freedom of Access Act, Public Comment Periods, and Maine Schools

ABOUT THE PROGRAM:

Maine schools have recently seen a spike in Freedom of Access Act information requests and in public participation at school board meetings. As public agencies, schools are obligated to be open and transparent about their operations and allow public engagement at their meetings. Complying with these obligations can be difficult, especially when doing so clashes with the need to protect staff or student confidentiality, or affects the operational capacity of the school. At this conference, Drummond Woodsum experts will provide school board members and administrators with the tools that they need to navigate these difficult issues and ensure compliance with their legal responsibilities.

TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:

• Maine’s Freedom of Access Act.
• Determining what qualifies as a “public record”.
• Best practices in responding to records requests.
• Managing public comment periods.
• Complying with the school’s First Amendment obligations.
• And much more!

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

This program is suggested primarily for school administrators and school board members.

Need Help?

Contact Morgan Stickney (mstickney@dwmlaw.com) if you have any questions at all.