MCP

i~G E UT 11L~C C C~i.S

www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org M A R Y L A N D
June 26, 2014
Malcolm ~aldrige
National Quality Award
~~010Awaed Recipient
Mr. Tom Hearn
Maryland=
Dear Mr. ~iearn:
I am responding to your June 3, 2014, Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request for
"information regarding concussions and other injuries sustained by Montgomery County Public
Schools (MCPS) high school students while participating in MCPS interscholastic athletics
program." I am responding on behalf of the superintendent of schools who, as official custodian
of records for the school system, is responsible for replies under the Maryland Public
Information Act, Maryland State Goveznment Article 10-611, et seq.
Responses to your specific requests are as follows:
1. MCPS Stdent Accident Report Data
A specific database, as you requested it, does not exist. To provide the data you have
requested, accident forms will have to be reviewed and sorted by categozy at the school
level. We estimate this will take at least four hours of staff time at each school, for a total
of 100 hours. If you would like us to proceed with this request, please see the paragraph
below regarding payment.
2. MCPSAthletics Concussion Database
The attached file includes the number of concussions broken down by sport and school.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits disclosure of
information maintained by the school system that is or may reasonably be identifiable to
a particular student. Therefore, any cell with less than fiveincluding those with zero
has been indicated as "<5."
3. Athletic Trainee Data from 11 MCPS High Schools
There are no documents responsive to your request. Beginning next school year, we will
be asking athletic trainers who are working in our high schools to begin providing the
type of data you are requesting.
Departrraent of Pub9ic Information and Web Services
850 Hungerford Drive, Room 112 s Rockville, Maryland 20850 ~ 307-279-3853
I~r. T'om Hearn 2 June 26, 2014
4. Copies of any reports of injuries in the A~ICPS' athletics program that you have receives'
from staff or that have been provided to the Board of Education.
Ths response to the Board member question regarding concussions occurring in MCPS
athletics is enclosed. Once again, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA) prohibits disclosure of information maintained by the school system that is or
may reasonably be identifiable to a particular student. Therefore any specific data points
in the response that are less than five have been redacted.
Maryland law, Article 10-621, allows a government unit to recover actual costs incurred to
search and prepare records for inspection for any time beyond the first two hours. To this point,
we have spent two hours of staff time fulfilling your request. It is estimated that it will take 100
hours of staff time to prepare the data that you have requested, at an hourly rate of $24.50.
Therefore the cost of fulfilling your request is $2,450.00.
We will not proceed with your request until we receive payment from you. Please send a check
made payable to Montgomery County Public Schools to the Department of Public Information
and Web Services, 850 Hungerford Drive, Room 112, Rockville, Maryland, 20850. If, during the
process of fulfilling your request, it becomes apparent that it will take longer, we will stop our
work and notify you of any additional costs. Conversely, if filling the request takes less time
than estimated, the difference will be refunded to you. You may also choose to modify your
request, at which time a new cost estimate will be provided to you.
Sincerely, ,~.. -- - -~. -._
F~ ~ ~
~ > ~ .w ~_~__. ~..
Tana M. Tofig
...
Director
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DMT:bIs
Enclosure
Copy to:
Mr. Bowers
Mr. Civin