The Public Information Act (PIA) gives the public the right to request access to government information. The request must ask for information already in existence. The PIA does not require Athens ISD to create new information, perform legal searches or answer general questions.

Student education records requested by a student’s parent or legal guardian do not require a public information request. Student records include:

• Report cards, test results, daily grades, assignments

• Attendance information

• Special education of 504 records, including documents or recordings of meetings

• Class schedules

• Discipline information

• Counseling records

• Injury reports 

• Financial records (e.g., cafeteria or field trip)

• Enrollment records

• Transcripts (go here for transcript requests)

To request student education records, contact the principal of the campus the student attends or attended.

Additionally, the information you are seeking may be available on the Athens ISD website. Before you submit a public information request, please review our website, using the search icon (a magnifying glass) at the top, right side of the home page or the AI powered "chatbot" found at the bottom, right side of any web page.

To request information through the Public Information Act (PIA), your request should be in writing and contain the following information:

• Your name

• Address

• Phone number

• Email address (or fax number if applicable)

• Description of the information and/or document being requested

• Date range of the records requested

• Subject heading “Public Information Request” or “Open Records Request”

The Public Information Act does not require governmental bodies to create new information, perform legal research or answer questions. The request must ask for records or information already in existence.

A person may make a written request for public information under the PIA only by delivering the request by one of the following methods to the district's public information officer, Toni Clay:

• Email: communications@athensisd.net

• Hand delivery: AISD Administration Building, 104 Hawn Street, Athens, TX 75751

• U.S. mail: Athens ISD, Public Information Officer, 104 Hawn St., Athens, TX 75751

• Fax: 903-677-6908

If you need special accommodations pursuant to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact our public information officer at 903-677-6900.

Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, gives you the right to access government records; and an officer for public information and the officer’s agent may not ask why you want them. All government information is presumed to be available to the public. Certain exceptions may apply to the disclosure of the information. Governmental bodies shall promptly release requested information that is not confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision, or information for which an exception to disclosure has not been sought.

If records cannot be produced within 10 business days, the public information officer will notify you in writing of the reasonable date and time when it will be available. See below for AISD's calendars of government-designated and school board-designated non-business days.

Cost of Records

• You must respond to any written estimate of charges within 10 days of the date the governmental body sent it, or the request is considered automatically withdrawn.

• If estimated costs exceed $100, Athens ISD may require a bond, prepayment or deposit.

• You may ask Athens ISD to determine whether providing the information primarily benefits the general public, resulting in a waiver or reduction of charges.

• A requester must make a timely payment for all mutually agreed charges. Athens ISD can require payment of overdue balances exceeding $100, or obtain a security deposit, before processing additional requests from an overdue requester.