Babylon UFSD

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a U.S. federal law that ensures transparency and accountability by granting American citizens the right to access previously unreleased or uncirculated information and documents controlled by the U.S. government, state, or other public authorities upon request.

Purpose:

The primary function of FOIA is to ensure that informed citizens play a vital role in the functioning of a democratic society. It allows individuals to seek access to public records held by federal agencies.

How It Works:

Request Process: If you want to access specific information, you can file a FOIA request with the relevant agency. FOIA.gov provides guidance on creating your request.
Disclosure: FOIA requires agencies to disclose requested information unless it falls under specific exemptions (e.g., national security, personal privacy, trade secrets).
Exemptions: There are nine exemptions that protect certain types of information from disclosure.
Special Law Enforcement Record Exclusions: Three exclusions apply to law enforcement records.

Benefits:

Informed Citizens: FOIA empowers citizens by allowing them to understand government actions and decisions.
Accountability: It holds public authorities accountable for their actions and promotes transparency.

FOIA is the law that keeps citizens informed about their government

View the full text of the law

All FOIL requests must be made by completing the form below.

This subject matter list provides a reference of subjects or file categories under which records are maintained by the Babylon Union Free School District. This list is not a compilation of every record used by the District to conduct daily business functions.

Not all records listed here are publicly available under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). Under FOIL, certain records are exempt from disclosure. For example, the District may deny access to certain records if such disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or if the records are rendered confidential by federal or state law.

Pursuant to New York Public Officers Law§ 87(3)(c), the Babylon Union Free School District is required to maintain and post on its website a reasonably detailed current list by subject matter of all records in its possession. For purposes of meeting this mandate, the District has the following records in its possession:

Applicable school district records as described in the LGS-1 Retention Schedule published by the New York State Archives governing retention and disposition of records.

Please note that the LGS-1 schedule replaced the ED-1 Retention Schedule which previously governed retention and disposition of school district records.

These records include but are not limited to:
- Administrative files, plans, and reports
- Audit Reports
- Board minutes and agendas
- Board policies and administrative regulations
- Contracts and agreements
- Election and voting records
- Equipment and Supply inventories
- Financial records
  - Budgets
  - Accounts Payable
  - Accounts Receivable
  - Bonds
  - Financial Statements
- Grant programs
- Insurance policies and records
- Oaths of office
- Purchasing and procurement
- School safety plans and records
- Student records, including academic records, attendance records, health records, special education records, disciplinary records
- Taxation/tax levy
Accountability:
- Accountability Plans
- Accountability Plan Progress Reports
- Enrollment and Retention Targets Information
- School Visit Reports
Human Resource Records:
- Attendance records, time sheets, leave records
- Benefits and Health Insurance Administration
- Civil Service Lists, Canvass Letters, Responses, Resumes
- Equal employment opportunity records
- Evaluations and performance reviews/appraisals
- Investigative records and disciplinary proceedings
- Labor Relations records, including grievance and arbitration records
- Payroll Processing and related forms
- Personnel files
- Training
- Union contracts
- Workers' Compensation files
- Workforce information
Information Technology:
- Hardware
- Software
- Usage/access records
- Security records
- Support records
- Website
Miscellaneous:
- Building Admittance and Visitor Logs
- Code Compliance records
- Commencement records
- Facilities planning, building, and construction
- FOIL requests and appeals
- Incident/Accident and internal investigation records
- Inspection and permits
- Legal matters and appeals
- Maintenance/repair records
- Program files
- Publications
- Press releases
- School transportation
- SEQRA