Ford, Joey v. Hudson, Town of - Public Schools (SPR 20264489)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records October 19, 2026 SPR26/4489 Brian K. Reagan, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools Hudson Public Schools 155 Apsley Street Hudson, MA 01749 Dear Superintendent Reagan: On October 2, 2026, this office received your petition on behalf of the Hudson Public Schools (School/District), seeking an extension of time to produce records. G. L. c. 66, § 10(c); G. L. c. 66, § 10(d)(iv); see also 950 C.M.R. 32.06(4). As required by law, it is my understanding that the School furnished a copy of the petition to the requestor, Joey Ford. G. L. c. 66, § 10(c); G. L. c. 66, § 10(d)(iv)(2). On September 23, 2026, Mr. Ford requested the following records “from September 18, 2021 through the date of your response”: Please provide all final or executed student-related agreements resolving, compromising, settling, memorializing, or otherwise disposing of a dispute, claim, complaint, appeal, due-process matter, grievance, or other contested educational issue involving Hudson Public Schools, including: [1] Settlement agreements and settlement-and-release agreements; [2] Resolution agreements; [3] Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs); [4] Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs); [5] Mediation agreements; [6] Stipulations, consent agreements, or agreements for judgment/resolution; [7] Side agreements, side letters, or similar written agreements; [8] Amendments, addenda, extensions, or attachments that materially alter or form part of such agreements; and [9] Any other final written agreement, regardless of title, that resolves or memorializes the resolution of a student-related educational dispute. . . . One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 • (617) 727-2832• Fax: (617) 727-5914 sec.state.ma.us/pre • pre@sec.state.ma.us

Brian K. Reagan, Ed.D. SPR26/4489 Page 2 October 19, 2026 Open Appeal This request is currently the subject of an open appeal. See SPR26/4174. A determination will be issued separately within 10 business days of receipt of the appeal. Petitions for an Extension of Time Under the Public Records Law, upon a showing of good cause, the Supervisor of Records (Supervisor) may grant a single extension to an agency not to exceed 20 business days and a single extension to a municipality not to exceed 30 business days. In determining whether there has been a showing of good cause, the Supervisor shall consider, but shall not be limited to considering: (i) the need to search for, collect, segregate or examine records; (ii) the scope of redaction required to prevent unlawful disclosure; (iii) the capacity or the normal business hours of operation of the agency or municipality to produce the request without the extension; (iv) efforts undertaken by the agency or municipality in fulfilling the current request and previous requests; (v) whether the request, either individually or as part of a series of requests from the same requestor, is frivolous or intended to harass or intimidate the agency or municipality; and (vi) the public interest served by expeditious disclosure. G. L. c. 66, § 10(c). If the Supervisor determines that the request is part of a series of contemporaneous requests that are frivolous or designed to intimidate or harass, and the requests are not intended for the broad dissemination of information to the public about actual or alleged government activity, the Supervisor may grant a longer extension or relieve the agency or municipality of its obligation to provide copies of the records sought. Id. The filing of a petition does not affect the requirement that a Records Access Officer (RAO) must provide an initial response to a requestor within ten business days after receipt of a request for public records. 950 C.M.R. 36.06(4)(b). Current Petition In its petition, the School requests an extension of 30 business days and provides the following in support of its request: The District anticipates that responsive records will need to be redacted or withheld pursuant to Exemption (a) of the Public Records Law, the statutory exemption, based on the District’s obligation to maintain the confidentiality of

Brian K. Reagan, Ed.D. SPR26/4489 Page 3 October 19, 2026 student information, beyond directory information, under federal and state law and regulations (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 C.F.R. 99; 603 CMR 23.00). . . . Personally identifiable student information includes a student’s name, name of the student’s parents or other family members, address of the student or student’s family, or any other information that alone or in combination is linked or linkable to a specific student. See 34 C.F.R 99. Here, the District anticipates that potentially responsive records will reference a specifically named student and their educational services, and accordingly must be redacted or withheld[.] Given the wide breadth of Parent Data Force’s request, which encompasses nearly 2,000 documents, it is not possible for the Executive Director of Student Services at the Hudson Public Schools to review and redact the responsive documents within 10 business days. The District will be unable to produce the records during normal business hours of operation without an extension in light of the fact that the Executive Director of Student Services will have to determine the application of the student record confidentiality exception. Furthermore it is likely that the Executive Director of Student Services will need to confer with District Counsel to seek advice on the implications of student confidentiality for certain documents with the requested production. I find that in light of the need to search for, collect, segregate and examine the records, the scope of redaction required to prevent unlawful disclosure, and the capacity of the School to produce the request without the extension, the School has established good cause to permit an extension of time. G. L. c. 66, § 10(c)(i)-(iii). The School is granted an extension of 30 business days. Conclusion As described above, I find the School has established good cause for a time extension of 30 business days. Please note, Mr. Ford has the right to seek judicial review of this decision by commencing a civil action in the appropriate superior court. See G. L. c. 66, §§ 10(c), 10(d)(iv)(4), 10A(c). Sincerely, Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records cc: Joey Ford