GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Recorder has received an answer to its public records request for 15 months’ worth of emails between School Committee members.
Shortly after social media lit up in mid-March with comments and concerns about the School Committee chair and vice chair communicating through email, alleging that they have violated Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, among other things, the Recorder’s request was submitted on March 20.
The reporter received a letter 10 business days later from Interim Superintendent Judith Houle of The Management Solution (TMS) — the Greenfield School Department is currently paying Houle, TMS President Andrew Paquette (the department’s business manager), two consultants and a communications specialist — saying the public records request yielded 32,208 emails.
The Recorder requested all emails between the seven School Committee members from Jan. 1, 2020 through March 19, 2021. Most of the emails are currently open to the public, but the ones discussed on social media have been “locked” because they are part of negotiations with former Superintendent Jordana Harper, according to School Committee Chair Amy Proietti.
Houle’s letter to the reporter says that in accordance with the Massachusetts Public Records Law, the hourly fee assessed cannot exceed $25 per hour, and for communities with a population of more than 20,000, the hourly fee for the first two hours is waived. The School Department would charge the newspaper $1,680 for the emails it can release after they’ve been redacted.
“Lauren Rice is the lowest paid employee of the Greenfield Public Schools who could perform this task,” Houle wrote, referring to the administrative assistant. “Said employee makes $27.40 per hour.”
Houle continued by writing that she estimates it would take Rice 67 hours to go through all of the emails and redact anything that needs to be. She said the emails would be supplied on a flash drive at the cost of $5.
“Based on the above information, I request that you send Greenfield Public Schools a check for $1,680,” she continued, regarding the emails requested and saying that if it takes more time than estimated to go through all of the emails, another bill would be sent to the newspaper, and if it took less time, a refund check would be sent.
Concerning the emails or synopsis of emails posted on social media, someone identifying themselves only as “anonymous” posted that they filed a public records request that produced “hundreds” of emails between Greenfield School Committee members. It isn’t clear when that happened and for how long a period of time.
Proietti told the reporter late in March that she appreciates the newspaper’s and people’s interest in the matter. She said once any emails requested were redacted, the School Committee would vote on whether to release them.
“These emails were part of a larger legal agreement between the School Committee and the former superintendent, and this will be my only comment,” Proietti said at the time. “The School Committee remains focused on moving forward with the work at hand of preparing our schools for reopening in a few weeks.”
Reach Recorder reporter Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.