Open Records Office
The Right-to-Know law is Pennsylvania's open records law. It requires government agencies in the Commonwealth to provide access to and copies of public records. Policy 801 - Public Records governs the district's right-to-know procedures and practices. As part of the policy, the district has outlined the process for individuals to make a formal right-to-know request.
In accordance with the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law and board-approved school district policy, the Elizabethtown Area School District Open Records Office is committed to providing access to public records. To ensure a streamlined and efficient process, we require that all requests for public records be submitted using the official Open Records Request Form.
Notice: Use of Official Form Required
Please be advised that the Elizabethtown Area School District reserves the right to refuse any open records requests that are not submitted using the official Open Records Request Form. Acceptable Open Records Request Forms are limited to the following:
- Standard form created by the State Office of Open records.
This requirement helps us to process requests in a timely and organized manner, ensuring that all necessary information is provided and that your request is handled efficiently. To submit a request, please complete one of the acceptable Open Records Request Form and submit it to the Open Records Office via email, mail, or in person. The form is available for download below or can be obtained at the district office.
School District Response Process:
Once a Right-to-Know request is received, the District has five (5) business days to respond. The District may, at its discretion, honor verbal requests for public records in cases where access can be granted immediately. However, verbal requests are not considered official and do not require a formal response under Right-to-Know guidelines.
If an extension is necessary, the District may request an additional 30 calendar days to respond. In such cases, the request for an extension must be made within the initial 5-business-day response window. The final response deadline will then be 30 calendar days from the end of the initial 5-business-day window, regardless of when the initial response or extension notice is sent.
Examples of situations where an extension may be required include:
- Legal Review: The requested records require review by legal counsel to determine if they are subject to disclosure under the law.
- Volume of Records: The request involves a large number of records, and additional time is needed to locate, review, and prepare them.
- Redactions: The records include information that must be redacted to comply with confidentiality laws or privacy protections.
If the school district denies the request either partially or in full, the requester has the right to challenge the determination by appealing to the Pennsylvania Open Records Office. To do so, the requester must file an appeal explaining the reason why you believe the the requested information is a public record with fifteen (15) business days.
Agency’s Open Record Office and Officer:
Elizabethtown Area School District
Troy Portser, Open Records Officer
600 East High Street
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Phone: (717) 367-1521
Fax: (717) 367-1920
Email: openrecords@etownschools.org
Website: www.etownschools.org/departments/open-records-office
PA Office of Open Records:
To challenge this Agency’s response to a Right to Know Request, you may file an appeal within 15 business days with:
PA Office of Open Records
333 Market Street, 16th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17101-2234
Phone: (717) 346-9903
Fax: (717) 425-5343
Email: openrecords@pa.gov
Website: www.openrecords.pa.gov
Official Form: State Office of Open Records Standard Right-to-Know Request Form
Right-to-Know Law Compliance and Posted Documents:
In compliance with Section 504 of the Right-to-Know Law, the following documents have been made available by this agency:
- General information on the agency's Right-to-Know process
- A form that may be used to file a request
- This agency’s policy relating to the Right-to-Know Law