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The Rappahannock School Board has long been infamous for its secrecy.
Our school board members are the only board we know of anywhere in the state that regularly meets for two. three, even four or more hours in executive session. Earlier this year, after being advised to the contrary by the commonwealth’s attorney, the board members went so far as to ask their special outside lawyer if they could hold private meetings over coffee in their homes.
This month, they’ve taken their penchant for secrecy even a step further, denying the press copies of documents they discussed in public, documents they maintain are “working papers’’ and thus exempt from requirements for disclosure spelled out in Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act.
When they told the Rappahannock News at the August 10 meeting that we couldn’t have an architect’s report, recommendations and budget analysis on the proposed bus shop-central office, we asked for the refusal in writing.
When we were told again last week that we couldn’t have a copy of the assistant superintendent’s report on a suggested index salary scale, we asked again for a written refusal covering both the index scale report and the architect’s report. We were informed that we had to wait for confirmation coming from the school board’s attorney. That confirmation, over the signature of superintendent Robert Estabrook, was delivered Monday afternoon. Dealing only with the architectural program and budget cost analysis in connection with the construction of a new school administrative facility. the letter specifies the following grounds for refusal: “(II The Virginia Freedom of Information Act Exempts from its disclosure requirements the ‘memoranda, working papers and correspondence held or requested by...(theI chief executive officer of the political subdivision of the Commonwealth...’ At this time, the documents requested constitute working documents of the Superintendent since they pertain to preliminary recommendations and analysis, the details of which are discussed only in Executive Session.
“(21 Pursuant to the provisions of 2.1-344 and 2.1-342 (111, the documents pertain to items discussed in appropriate Executive Sessions relating to condition, acquisition or use of real property for public purpose, and the investing of public funds where competition or bargaining is involved where disclosure of information would adversely affect the financial interests of the School Board - ’’ "
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