Opinion ID: 1709729
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Applicability of Gabrilson.

Text: Rathmann further contends that even if Iowa Code section 22.3 allows the school district to charge members of the public a retrieval fee, that our decision in Gabrilson precludes the school district from charging school board members a fee to cover the costs of retrieving requested school district records. Rathmann therefore asks us to clarify and extend our ruling in Gabrilson to preclude a school district from charging school board members a retrieval fee. We agree with plaintiff Rathmann's contention that our decision in Gabrilson prohibits a school board from charging a school board member a retrieval fee to cover the cost of making school district records available to a board member, so long as the request for records is reasonable. In Gabrilson, we affirmed a school board member's right of access to information for purposes of examining the legality of school board action. 554 N.W.2d at 275. We did not consider the legality of a retrieval fee since that issue was never presented to us. We did, however, discuss a school board member's right of access to school district records and documents in connection with discharging his or her duties as a board member. We noted that `members of the Board of Education occupy a fiduciary position and are under a duty to make detailed inquiry into any matter which appears to be wrong.' Id. (quoting Lane v. Blair, 162 W.Va. 281, 250 S.E.2d 124, 126 (1978)). We thus stated that in order to adequately exercise the authority granted to them, school board members generally should be allowed access to both public and private [school district] records that are necessary for the proper discharge of their duties. Id. In view of our holding in Gabrilson we believe that a school board member should be allowed to obtain copies of any school district records, that she has a right to see, at no cost to the school board member. Forcing a school board member to pay for copies of school district records would surely interfere with a board member's ability to properly discharge her duties as a board member and cannot be allowed. Although there is, of course, the potential for abuse with respect to a school board member's right of access to school district records, we are confident that most records requests would not unduly place a financial strain on the school district. We also point out that by its express terms, board policy 306.5 seems to apply only to members of the public; there is nothing in the language of policy 306.5 to suggest that it applies to school board members who have special statutory fiduciary duties by virtue of their office. Thus, policy 306.5 does not appear to be a legitimate basis for charging a school board member a fee to cover the cost of fulfilling a board member's request for school district records. In summary, we agree with the district court's conclusion that a public body covered under Iowa Code section 22.3 may charge members of the public a retrieval fee associated with a public records request. This fee may include the cost of paying the wages of a person hired by the lawful custodian to retrieve the requested records, but must be reasonable in light of the circumstances surrounding the request. We conclude, however, that a school district may not charge a school board member a retrieval fee associated with a board member's request for records that the board member has a right to see. We therefore reverse the judgment of the district court as to this issue.