Manassas City Public Schools shall comply with Virginia's Freedom of Information Act. All requests for information shall be processed in accordance with Regulation KBA-R. The Director of Public Communications and Community Relations serves as the FOIA officer for Manassas City Public Schools.

1. Requests shall be directed to Manassas City Public Schools:  Attention: Almeta Radford, Director of Public Communications and Community Relations. Requesters should make their requests using Form FOI-1.

2. Requests received at the Central Office via telephone shall be transcribed onto Form FOI-1 by Central Office staff. Written requests other than on Form FOI-1 shall be appended to a copy of the form by Central Office staff, who shall fill out as much of the form as possible.

3. Building office personnel shall provide Form FOI-1 and a copy of this regulation upon request to any person interested in obtaining access to records, and shall instruct the requester to direct the request to the Central Office. Telephone inquiries shall be redirected to the central office. Any written requests received by building personnel shall be immediately forwarded to the Central Office, with a notation indicating the date and time the request was received.

The Board encourages teacher involvement in an effective curriculum research program which will be beneficial to the students of Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS). Instructional research studies may be conducted in the MCPS only upon written authorization of the Superintendent or designee.

Each research proposal shall be evaluated in terms of its possible positive value to the educational program, its administrative feasibility in the schools in terms of the current instructional program, its value to the professional development of teaching and administrative personnel, and its desirable contribution to the educational welfare of MCPS students.

Persons and/or groups desiring to conduct research activities in the Manassas City Public Schools must request such permission in writing to Dr. Jennifer Cassata, the Executive Director of Accountability and Finance. Approval of research projects within MCPS shall be subject to the projects’ having no undue effect or interference with the daily operations of the schools. Even when permission is granted, the Division reserves the right, to its sole discretion, to revoke said permission at any time.

1. A written description of the study.

2. A letter, from the study chairperson, granting permission to do the study.

3. A letter, from the graduate school, approving the human studies research.

4. A copy of any survey questions or oral questions to be used in the study.

5. A copy of the participant’s letter stating that participation is voluntary.

6. If the study is taking place in a single school, then a letter is required from the principal of that school granting permission for the study. If the study involves a random school or multiple schools, the district will work with the researcher to make arrangements.

7. A letter with the researcher’s signature stating the students, staff members, schools, or Manassas City Public Schools will not be identified in any draft or final report of the study.

8. Manassas City Public Schools is to receive a copy of all completed research findings.