Understanding FOIA in Missouri

Since 1967, the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has guaranteed the public’s right to access records held by government agencies. FOIA itself applies to federal agencies, but it set the legal and cultural expectation of transparency that every state has since built on—extending the same basic right to state and local government bodies, including public school districts. Because districts are funded by taxpayers and governed by elected boards, that standard applies to them too, and it covers more than paper records: it covers what they post on social media.

How Missouri Extends FOIA

Missouri establishes this right at the state level through the Missouri Sunshine Law, RSMo Chapter 610, which applies to every public governmental body, a term the statute expressly extends to school districts. Under §610.010(6), a public record is any record, whether written or electronically stored, retained by or of any public governmental body. The law also reaches digital correspondence directly: under §610.025, when a board member emails public business to enough members to form a majority, the message must be copied to the district’s custodian of records and becomes a public record. Secretary of State guidance adds that posts, comments, and photos on agency accounts may be records the district must keep. For districts, that means posts, comments, and messages on official social media accounts should be managed as public records, ready to search and produce on request.

What This Means for Missouri School Social Media

• Every post, comment, edit, and deletion across your district’s official accounts may be subject to disclosure—not just what’s currently visible on the page.
• Missouri districts must act on every request within three business days, and any delay needs a written explanation with the earliest date records will be available—so your team needs records ready to search.
• Missouri retention periods depend on what a record says, not where it lives, and the district is responsible for capturing posts and comments, so social media content needs the same retention discipline as paper files.
• Some content may be exempt from disclosure (e.g., FERPA-protected student information), but knowing what qualifies requires careful, consistent review.
• Without an automated system, gathering this information manually can take days; Class Intercom captures it in real time so your team is always ready.