Public Information Act Requests
The Board of Education of Baltimore County is committed providing access to public records in accordance with the Maryland Public Information Act, Annotated Code of Maryland, Title 4 of the General Provisions Article (“MPIA”), and Superintendent’s Rule 2373.
How to Submit an MPIA Application
Any person may request to inspect or obtain copies of public records of the school system, unless the requested records fall into one of the exceptions provided in the MPIA.
Beginning January 1, 2025, submit your MPIA Application through JustFOIA
IMPORTANT: AFTER JANUARY 1, 2025, Requests will no longer be accepted via email. Please submit requests through the JustFOIA portal: “Baltimore County Public Schools, MD Records Requests - Make a new request” Once your request has been submitted, you will be able to:
- Receive a confirmatory email containing a Request Reference Number and Security Key so you can track the status of your request.
- Communicate directly with the MPIA Officer about your request
- Access your invoice and make a credit card payment for responsive records, if a fee is required.
- Access responsive records once they have been published
If you do not have access to the internet, you may still make your request
If you do not have access to the internet, you may send correspondence by US Mail to:
MPIA Representative
Vickie Wash, Esq., Senior Counsel
Baltimore County Public Schools
6901 Charles St., Building C
Towson, MD 21204
- Business Facsimile Information:
Applications may also be faxed to (410) 887-4118.
- Business Phone Number: 443-809-4060
An application for public records sent by US Mail must (1) include the applicant’s full name, mailing address, and telephone number, (2) be signed by the applicant; and (3) reasonably identify, by brief description, the public record sought. (Note: Applications sent via fax after 4:30 p.m. on a business day, on a weekend, or on a school system holiday will not be considered received until the next business day.)
Responses to Applications
In most cases, the school system will respond to a request for public records within 10 business days after receiving the written application and advise the applicant when the records will be available. In accordance with the MPIA, if the records sought are precluded from disclosure, notification will be sent within 10 business days.
Fees
The custodian of record may charge an applicant a reasonable fee for the search for, preparation of, and reproduction of a public record. No fee will be assessed for the first two hours of staff time that is needed to respond to a request for records. If more than two hours of staff time is needed to fulfill the request, the applicant will be notified of the estimated cost and must deposit 75 percent of the estimate before work will begin. In all cases, fees must be paid in full before any documents are delivered or access to the documents is authorized.
The fee schedule established by Baltimore County Public Schools is as follows:
Copies – The fee for each copy is 25 cents per page if the reproduction is made by a photocopying machine within the school system. If the records are not susceptible to photocopying, the fee for copies will be based on the actual cost of reproduction. Documents of 10 or fewer pages will be copied free of charge.
Certification of Copies – If a person requests that a copy of a record be certified as a true copy, an additional fee of $1.00 per page or, if appropriate, per item, shall be charged.
Staff Time – If staff members expend greater than two hours in the search for, preparation of, and compilation of the records, fees shall be prorated for each employee’s salary and actual time attributable to the search for and preparation of the records.
CD/DVD or Flash Drive – The applicant will be charged $3.00 for each CD/DVD and $8.00 for a USB flash drive.
The fees listed above are not all-inclusive. For a complete list of fees, please refer to Superintendent’s Rule 2373.
Documents Immediately Available
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