KD Public Access to Information and Information Requests (Archived)

Though the primary goal of Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) is to serve students through systems of academic excellence, we are a public entity, funded by taxpayer dollars and our work serves the larger community of citizens, who have a right to access public records.

Albuquerque Public Schools is committed to a culture of transparency and efficiency. APS provides transparency to district and school site spending, budgets, revenue and employee salaries by allowing online access to the public. APS also provides a public dashboard page that includes student enrollment, demographics, assessment results, dropout rates, graduation rates, staff demographics, and much more. The public can access the APS dashboard page.

The right to access public records is a public policy and law of the State of New Mexico set forth in the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA), which provides persons have a right to inspect the public records of this state, subject to certain exceptions. Public records are defined by IPRA as all documents and records, regardless of physical form, that are used, created, received, maintained, or held by or on behalf of any public body and relate to public business, whether or not the records are required by law to be created or maintained.

The right of public inspection is limited to existing public records, which means APS is not required to create a public record to respond to a request. Exceptions exist including under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which limits production of student identifiable information that may be contained in requested documents as well as limited matters of opinion contained in personnel files. Requests for documents containing exempt information should not be withheld, but the exempt information should be redacted, if possible, to protect information exempt from disclosure.

Records requests for any school or district data should begin with a records request on the APS Custodian of Records request page.  

As required by the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act, the Custodian of Public Records for the Albuquerque Public Schools shall be responsible for

• receiving and responding to requests to inspect public records;
• providing proper and reasonable opportunities to inspect public records;
• providing reasonable facilities to make or furnish copies of the public records during usual business hours; and

compliance with any other provisions of federal and state statute and regulation regarding public records.

Administrative Position:

• Chief of Schools

Department Director: 

• Executive Director of Student, Parent, and Employee Service Center
• Custodian of Public Records

Cross References

Legal Cross Ref:

• Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA)
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act, NMSA 1978, §§ 14-2-1 et seq.

Board Policy Cross Ref:

• JR Release of Student Information
• JR1 Student Records

Procedural Directive Cross Ref:

• APS Inspection of Public Records
• School Campus Visits by Recruiters
• Inquiries Regarding Student Information or Student Records

NSBA/NEPN Classification: KDB

Reviewed: November 3, 1993
Approved: November 17, 1993
Revised: February 20, 1996
Reviewed: April 2001
Revised: December 2003
Reviewed: January 15, 2016
Revised: January 20, 2016
Reviewed: April 6, 2022
Revised/Renamed: April 6, 2022

Archived: June 26, 2024

This page was last updated on: December 9, 2009.