FB Pixel Skip To Main Content

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Information

Pursuant to Section 4 o f the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, MCL 15.234, ( the “FOIA” or the “Act”) the Farmington Public Schools District, (the “District”), issues this written public summary of the following: 

How to Submit Written Requests to the District: 

The District requires individuals or entities to submit FOIA requests in writing. FOIA requests may be mailed to the following address: 

FOIA Coordinator
Farmington Public Schools
33000 Freedom Rd.
Farmington, MI 48336 

An individual or entity may also make a request in person at the Administrative Building, 33000 Freedom Rd., Farmington, MI, or email a request to julie.langdon@fpsk12.net.

Please review the following checklist to ensure a timely and accurate response to a request: 

  1. Make sure the correspondence is addressed to the “ FOIA Coordinator” and includes the proper address and/or fax number.
  2. Clearly state that the request is being made for a public record(s) pursuant to the “Freedom of Information Act” or the “FOIA.”
  3. Describe the public record(s) requested in sufficient detail so that it can be more easily identified and located.
  4. Describe the subject matter of the public record(s) requested and, if possible, the approximate date that the public record(s) was created.
  5. Clearly state the manner in which you prefer the District to provide the public records, such as: paper copies, non-paper physical media, email, etc. (please note, all requests must be within the technological capabilities of the District).
  6. You can stipulate that public records be provided on non-paper, physical media, electronically mailed, or otherwise electronically provided in lieu of paper copies. If the requested public records are available on the District’s website and the response includes the website address, then any request for paper format or other form, such as electronic form, may result in additional charges. 


How to Understand the District’s Written Responses 

When the FOIA Coordinator receives a written request for a public record, the FOIA Coordinator, or his or her designee, shall, in not more than five (5) business days after the [public body] receives the request, respond to the request in one of the following ways:

  1. Grant the request.
  2. Issue a written notice to the requestor denying the request.
  3. Grant the request in part and issue a written notice to the requestor denying the request in part.
  4. Issue a written notice extending, for not more than ten ( 10) business days, the period during which the [public body] shall respond to the request. 

Deposit Requirements 

If the estimated cost of responding to a request exceeds $50.00, the District may require a good faith deposit of 50% to be submitted before the request is processed. Once the good faith deposit is submitted, the District will process the request. The balance of the cost of the request must be paid before copies may be picked up, mailed, or delivered. Good faith deposits and fees charged for responding to FOIA requests may be mailed to the following address: 

FOIA Coordinator
Farmington Public Schools
33000 Freedom Rd.
Farmington, MI 48336

Fee Calculations 

Please review the attached Fee Itemization Form, which provides a line-by-line summary and explanation of the fees that the District may charge in response to a request, pursuant to Section 4 of the Act (MCL 15.234(1)). 

Avenues for Challenge and Appeal 

If the requestor believes the fee estimated or charged for the request exceeds the amount permitted under the District’s procedures and guidelines or Section 4 of the Act, the requestor must: 

  1. Submit to the Superintendent a written appeal for a fee reduction that specifically states the word "appeal" and identifies why the requestor believes the required fee exceeds the amount permitted under the District’s procedures and guidelines or Section 4 of the Act. If the requestor disagrees with the District’s final determination, the requestor may, after exhausting internal administrative remedies, commence a civil action in Circuit Court where the District is located for a fee reduction. The civil action must be filed within 45 days of the public body’s final determination to deny a request pursuant to Section 10(1)(b) of the Act. 

Any written response denying a request for a public record, in whole or in part, is a final determination to deny the request or portion of that request. A requestor may file an appeal with the Board of Education or may seek judicial review of the denial, pursuant to Section 10 of the Act (MCL 15.240). A requestor may receive attorneys’ fees and damages pursuant to the Act if the Court determines that the District has not complied with Section 5 (MCL 15.235) of the Act and orders the disclosure of all or a portion of a public record.