As public schools face a rapid rise in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, compliance with redaction requirements becomes crucial. This blog outlines five of the best practices schools can implement to effectively manage FOIA requests, ensuring accurate redaction of sensitive student information.
Public schools nationwide are experiencing a rapid increase in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, straining resources and budgets.
In fact, some districts report FOIA request volumes increasing by nearly 30% in a single year, with Warren County Public Schools budgeting over $500,000 annually to manage these demands.
As a result of this surge, FOIA redaction compliance has become critical, not just to avoid hefty legal penalties but also to protect student privacy. If a school cannot properly handle sensitive information, where does that leave it in the eyes of the law and its students?
Schools can no longer dismiss the importance of FOIA compliance. But what exactly is it? And why should you care about it?
The Freedom of Information Act, commonly called FOIA, is a federal law created in 1966. It gives people the right to request access to government records.
FOIA helps citizens stay informed about how their government works by ensuring government activities are transparent.
While the federal FOIA law applies to federal government agencies, most states also have their own versions of FOIA. These state laws cover state and local agencies, including public schools.
For public schools, FOIA redaction compliance is especially important because it is a means of promoting transparency and accountability and is a right that is exercised more often than people would expect.
In 2024, federal agencies received over 1.5 million FOIA requests—a record high. That's 25% more than the year before, with about 300,000 additional requests.
When it comes to schools, parents, journalists, and community members can request school records to understand how decisions are made, how policies are set, and how schools spend their money.
People often request various kinds of records from public schools, such as:
However, not all records can be made public. Certain information is protected by privacy laws and cannot be shared.
Properly following FOIA redaction rules is of the utmost importance for public schools. When handling FOIA requests, schools must carefully review each document and remove sensitive information, like personally identifiable information (PII) or student details protected by laws like FERPA.
Failing to correctly redact this information can lead to serious consequences, including:
To comply with FOIA requirements, schools typically have trained staff or legal advisors who carefully handle redactions.
Managing FOIA requests can be tough for public schools, especially when the requests become large and complicated.
Take the Owatonna Public Schools in Minnesota for example. They faced a challenging situation when a group called United Patriots for Accountability made a huge FOIA request — every email and communication that included 19 specific terms related to race and equity.
This one request alone ended up costing the district more than $160,000 and took about 2,200 hours of staff time. Staff members generated almost 170,000 pages of records, and the district expected they needed another year to finish this request completely.
Other school districts across the country have faced similar challenges. In Arkansas, one school district received 100 FOIA requests in just 90 days. Responding to these requests cost nearly $20,000 and about 400 hours of staff labor.
So, if you’ve been under the impression that FOIA requests can be handled without too much difficulty... you may want to think again.
FOIA requests are complicated and expensive. Many schools already have limited budgets, so the additional costs and staff hours needed for FOIA compliance can be a significant challenge.
When school staff members spend hours reviewing and redacting documents, they have less time available for their main jobs, such as teaching and student support. This cascades into a number of other unpleasant effects such as a decline in teacher and student wellbeing, eventually leading to problems for the school itself.
Handling FOIA requests properly is important for schools, and there are five proven practices you can adopt to make sure your school meets legal standards and protects privacy.
Schools need to clearly identify two types of information: directory and non-directory.
Directory Information includes basic student details that schools may be allowed to share, such as a student’s name, major, enrollment status, dates of attendance, and participation in school activities or sports.
However, even this type of information isn’t always automatically shareable. Schools must review requests carefully—certain laws and exemptions mean directory info may still need to be redacted, especially if the request is for marketing, surveys, or if there are legal restrictions in place (like a protection order).
Non-Directory Information includes more sensitive data, such as social security numbers, grades, discipline records, health information, race or ethnicity, and anything else that could personally identify a student.
This information is strictly protected by privacy laws like FERPA and must be redacted before any documents are shared, unless there’s legal permission or a specific exemption.
Clearly separating these categories helps schools release only the right information to the right people.
To handle FOIA requests efficiently, schools should set up a single office or designate certain staff members to manage all requests. This creates clear accountability and consistency in responding.
It would also help to standardize their response methods, such as having templates for acknowledging requests, giving estimated completion dates, and communicating clearly with the people who request information.
Using consistent redaction labels to show why certain information is hidden helps make the process transparent and easy to audit later.
Everyone involved in handling FOIA requests should receive thorough, complete training. Your staff need to understand important laws like FERPA and HIPAA, as well as how to recognize sensitive information that must be redacted.
In keeping with that, training should teach staff practical skills, including how to use redaction tools correctly. Additionally, training should be regularly updated to reflect any new laws, technology changes, or updates in school policies.
Conducting regular checks on how FOIA requests are handled is critical. Schools should routinely review FOIA responses to ensure that sensitive information is consistently and correctly redacted according to the law.
Maintaining clear records of who made redactions, when they were made, and why they were necessary creates transparency and accountability.
This way, you can use the results of these audits to improve procedures, update staff training, and enhance their redaction guidelines.
Since the volume of requests is often so high (and can arrive at any moment!), it makes sense for schools to consider using redaction software for FOIA redaction compliance.
Redaction software often uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically detect and hide sensitive details like social security numbers, faces, names, and other personally identifiable information.
This kind of software offers important advantages, including:
Integrating this technology into your existing document management systems can really streamline your workflow and make sure that FOIA requests are handled consistently and accurately every time.
One such tool your public school can use to handle FOIA requests in bulk is VIDIZMO Redactor. This AI-powered tool helps schools quickly and securely redact—or hide—sensitive details across different types of media like videos, audio, images, and documents. It is specifically designed to simplify the process, save time, and ensure compliance with privacy laws.
Redaction for All Types of Media
VIDIZMO Redactor works seamlessly with videos, audio files, images, and documents. This means schools can protect sensitive information regardless of how it’s recorded or stored.
AI-Powered Automation
Using advanced artificial intelligence, VIDIZMO automatically detects personal details like names, addresses, social security numbers, faces, license plates, and more. Automating this process reduces human error and saves valuable staff time.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
Sometimes, sensitive information is hidden in handwritten notes, scanned documents, or pictures. VIDIZMO uses OCR technology to find and redact this embedded text, making sure nothing important slips through unnoticed.
Smart Object Tracking
With smart object tracking, you can select something—like a face or a license plate—in a video once, and VIDIZMO will automatically track and hide it throughout the entire recording. This saves hours of manual work and guarantees no frames are missed.
Supports Over 255 File Formats
You don’t have to worry about converting files because VIDIZMO handles over 255 file formats across audio, video, images, and documents. This makes your workflow smoother and faster.
Secure File Storage
VIDIZMO uses top-notch encryption (AES-256 bit, TLS 1.3) to protect your files from unauthorized access. This helps schools stay compliant with important privacy regulations like FOIA, FERPA, HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA.
Easy-to-Use Interface
The tool is user-friendly, meaning staff members with any technical skill level can easily navigate and confidently handle redactions without extensive training.
As FOIA requests continue to rise in volume and complexity, public schools are being asked to do more with fewer resources—while still upholding legal, ethical, and community expectations.
Implementing the right FOIA redaction compliance practices and technologies, like those outlined in this blog, can help schools respond with greater accuracy, speed, and confidence.
But as technology evolves and public scrutiny increases, one important question remains: Will your school be ready to meet the next wave of information requests—securely, transparently, and without compromise?
What is FOIA redaction compliance in public schools?
FOIA redaction compliance in public schools refers to the process of reviewing and censoring sensitive or protected information before releasing documents in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. This ensures that private student or staff data is not disclosed unlawfully.
Why are FOIA requests increasing in public school systems?
FOIA requests are rising due to growing public interest in school operations, policies, and spending. Parents, journalists, and advocacy groups are seeking more transparency, often requesting access to internal communications and decision-making documents.
What kind of information must be redacted under FOIA in schools?
Schools must redact any personally identifiable information, such as student names, social security numbers, grades, health records, and disciplinary actions. Even directory information may require redaction under certain conditions.
How can public schools improve FOIA redaction compliance?
Schools can improve FOIA redaction compliance by training staff, clearly separating directory and non-directory information, auditing redaction processes regularly, and using specialized redaction software to ensure accuracy.
What are the consequences of not complying with FOIA redaction requirements?
Failure to comply with FOIA redaction rules can lead to legal issues, breaches of privacy laws like FERPA, financial penalties, and damage to the school’s reputation and public trust.
Why is using redaction software important for FOIA compliance?
Redaction software helps schools manage FOIA compliance more efficiently by automatically identifying and censoring sensitive information, reducing manual errors, and saving time.
What challenges do public schools face when responding to FOIA requests?
Public schools often face limited budgets, staff shortages, and time constraints when managing FOIA requests. Complex or high-volume requests can overwhelm their resources and disrupt daily operations.
How does FERPA relate to FOIA redaction in schools?
FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, protects student education records. When schools respond to FOIA requests, they must ensure that any information protected under FERPA is properly redacted.
Can directory information always be shared under FOIA?
No, directory information is not always shareable. Schools must evaluate the purpose of the request and consider state laws or legal exemptions before disclosing even basic student information.
How does FOIA redaction compliance help maintain transparency?
FOIA redaction compliance allows schools to share information responsibly—honoring public access rights while protecting private data. This balance helps build trust and maintain accountability.