Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Office
Supporting Transparency Through Public Records Management
The Freedom of Infomation Act (FOIA) Office supports public records requests of Prince George County Public Schools in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. As outlined in Va. § 2.2-3700, this act allows the Commonwealth ready access to public records of a public body, or its officers and employees, and free entry to meetings of public bodies where the business of the people are being conducted.
To contact our department, please see the listing of Freedom of Information Act Office staff on our page, or call 804-733-2700.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) Information
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA), located at § 2.2-3700 et seq. of the Code of Virginia, guarantees citizens of the Commonwealth and representatives of the media access to public records held by public bodies, public officials, and public employees.
A public record is any writing or recording - regardless of whether it is a paper record, an electronic file, an audio or video recording, or any other format - that is prepared or owned by, or in the possession of, a public body or its officers, employees, or agents in the transaction of public business. All public records are presumed to be open and may only be withheld if a specific statutory exemption applies.
Some common exemptions include:
- Personnel records (§ 2.2-3705.1 (1) of the Code of Virginia)
- Scholastic records (§ 2.2-3705.4(1) of the Code of Virginia)
- Records related to critical incident response (§ 2.2-3705.2(14))
- Records subject to attorney-client privilege (§ 2.2-3705.1 (2)) or attorney work product (§ 2.2-3705.1 (3))
- Vendor proprietary information (§ 2.2-3705.1 (6))
- Records relating to the negotiation and award of a contract, prior to a contract being awarded (§ 2.2-3705.1 (12))
- Documents related to the negotiation or award of a specific contract
- Documents compiled for use in closed session
- Documents required to be kept confidential by law
Generally, Prince George County Public Schools will invoke the personnel records exemption when it applies to protect the privacy of staff and officials of PGCPS. The district will generally invoke the scholastic records exemption where it applies to protect the privacy of students and comply with other state and federal laws governing the protection and confidentiality of student records.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Office Team
Primary Contacts
Primary Contacts
