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FOIA

227 N. Fourth Street
 Geneva, IL 60134
 Phone: 630-463-3000

Freedom of Information Act Requests

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) is designed to ensure that the public has access to information about their government.  As a public body, Geneva Community Unit School District 304 has an obligation to ensure that citizens have access to inspect and/or copy open records.  As required by the Freedom of Information Act, the following information has been compiled:

FOIA Requests
Requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act must be filed with the District in writing.  Requestors are asked to be as specific as possible as to the document(s) they are requesting.  Public bodies are not responsible for compiling information or creating documents as a response to a Freedom of Information Act request.  Geneva School District will either comply with or deny a request for public records within five (5) business days after its receipt of the request unless the request is for commercial purposes or the time for response is properly extended. A request is received on the next business day if submitted during non-business hours. Geneva CUSD 304 business hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CST Monday through Friday. Geneva CUSD 304 observes all state holidays.

To file a FOIA request, requestors may either fill out a Freedom of Information Act Request Form provided by Geneva School District or submit a letter to the attention of the District’s FOIA Officer.  Requests can be sent via fax at (630) 463-3009, email at [email protected], or via postal mail to the Coultrap Educational Services Center, 227 N. Fourth Street, Geneva IL 60134.

Please note that all FOIA requests are logged and posted through BoardBook. When you submit a FOIA request, your name and request will be recorded in a log. 

FOIA Officer
Geneva School District’s Communications Coordinator serves as the District’s FOIA Officer.  In the absence of the Communications Coordinator, Freedom of Information Act requests are handled by the Superintendent’s office.

Available Records
The following are examples of the types or categories of records maintained by Geneva School District:  Monthly Financial Statements; Contracts and Bids; Budgets; Annual Audits; Minutes of Meetings of the Board of Education; Bylaws and Policies of the Board of Education; Textbook Adoptions; and Curriculum Frameworks

Upon request, Geneva School District will make certain records immediately available for inspection and copying between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (except on legal holidays) at the Coultrap Educational Services Center, 227 N. Fourth Street, Geneva IL 60134. These records, many of which are also available online and in the BoardBook include: Board of Education Bylaws and Policies; Geneva School District’s Current Fiscal Year Budget; Current Board of Education Purpose, Goals, Current Agreement Between the Geneva Education Association and the Board of Education; Current Annual Financial Report; Current Illinois School Report Cards for Geneva School District and its schools; and Board-Approved School Year and Board Meetings Calendars.

Electronic Records
The Freedom of Information Act requires that, when requested and when feasible, documents be provided in electronic format to requestors.  For documents that are available only in electronic format, requestors without access to a computer or the Internet may ask that the document(s) be printed or that provisions be made to review the electronic documents at the Coultrap Educational Services Center, 227 N. Fourth Street, Geneva IL 60134.

Fees
As stipulated by the Freedom of Information Act, Geneva School District will provide the first 50 black and white, letter- or legal-sized copies at no charge.  Additional copies are 5 cents per page.  The District reserves the right to charge the actual cost of reproduction for color or abnormally-sized copies and for recording mediums such as discs or tapes when information is requested in electronic format.

Denial of Access
In order to protect personal privacy and to perform certain governmental functions properly, some records and information may need to be kept confidential and are not deemed “public records” under the Act.  Requests for this type of information can be denied or, in other cases, certain pieces of confidential information may be redacted (or removed) from documents.  As required by the Act, Geneva School District keeps a file of all notices of denial of access to records.  This file is available for inspection by members of the public upon request to the FOIA Officer.

Documents Immediately Available

Many documents are readily available to the public on our Public Documents page.. 

FOIA FAQs

Q. If I desire information from the District and/or Board, do I need to request it through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)?
A. The Board of Education and administration receive hundreds of requests for information each year and most can usually be answered without the use of a FOIA request by locating the information on the district's website and Public Documents page. Only a small percentage of requests require the use of the FOIA process, primarily because of legal reasons such as a need to redact personal or private information. Geneva’s FOIA Officer makes determinations as to the need for the FOIA process. 
 
FOIA requests can be sent to [email protected] 
 
Questions can be set to the Board of Education at [email protected] 
 
Questions can be sent to the administration at [email protected] 
 
Q. Do all FOIA requests require legal review?  
A. No. The majority of FOIA requests do not require legal review unless the information desired involves a matter of confidentiality, redaction of personal information, or a possible denial of the request. The District then utilizes legal services to ensure that we follow the letter of the law and fulfill the request in as complete a manner as possible while protecting the rights of all.