School System Uncooperative in Public Records Request

By Dave Freneaux
    A Public Records Request made by Central Speaks to see documents related to School Board travel expenses has been met with resistance and was immediately handed over to the School Board’s attorney.
    Earlier this month the EBR School System shut down all School Board travel for the remainder of 2014 because of excessive expenditures.  In order to share with Central's taxpayers how CENTRAL’s School Board was doing in this area, Central Speaks had requested these travel records.
    The Central Community School System, represented by Superintendent Faulk with advice from their attorney, has taken the position that it does not have to obtain and turn over the United Airlines documents for $5,408.20 worth of tickets purchased to send School Board Members to San Diego for a conference.  
    In response to the records request Central Speaks received 400 pages with a great deal of the information on these invoices and credit card statements concealed or “redacted”, covered with big black boxes. One invoice provided, pictured below, was for the September, 2013 School Board trip to a conference in Dan Diego.
    These $5,408.20 in fares were actually not paid to Accent Travel, rather they were charged directly to the School System’s MasterCard.  This document alone raises two questions: What information was hidden under the black boxes and why? Why is there such a large range in fares from $555 down to $48.40 per ticket?
    These questions prompted Central Speaks to request the actual United Airlines ticketing information for this invoice.  Bear in mind that the Louisiana Supreme Court has written: “the public records statute… should be construed liberally, and any doubt must be resolved in favor of the right of access.”
    This is a summary of the email exchange with Superintendent Faulk:
Faulk: "Our attorney has advised us that if this is the only documentation we have then this is the only information we can share with you.”
Central Speaks: "Will you request that from Accent Travel please?  If Accent Travel is unwilling or unable to provide this documentation, I am asking for the CCSS to request the information directly from United Airlines, since these tickets were charged directly to the CCSS credit card."
School Board Attorney: "M. Faulk, The Board does have such requested records and there is no requirement for the Board to obtain the records."
Central Speaks: "…is the CCSS is WILLING to request these records from the travel agency and/or United Airlines?  If not, why not?"
There was no further response from Superintendent Faulk.
    Central Speaks is not making any claim that there has been any misappropriation of funds, rather is simply asking to see where and how tax dollars have been spent.   In addition to seeking answers as to what information was concealed and why, two new questions are raised: Why will Superintendent Faulk not make any attempt to obtain and share other information which would clarify these documents?  And even if he is not legally required to do so, wouldn’t he want to, in the interest of transparency?