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FOIA Responses

To view each year's FOIA Responses please click on the tabs below!

November 2025 - June 2026

Name of Requestor

Date Completed

Item Requested

Documents
Tommy Sevilla 11/25/2025
  • SCHSL Certificates of Eligibility filed, submitted, generated, or maintained by Lexington–Richland School District Five for the following student-athletes, for all academic years in which they were enrolled and/or participated in LR5 athletics:
    • ***********
    • ***********
    • ***********
    • ***********
    • ***********
    • ***********
    • ***********
    • ***********
    • ***********
    • ***********
  • This request includes all versions of each certificate, including:
    • Original Certificates of Eligibility
    • Revised or corrected certificates
    • Certificates withdrawn, voided, or resubmitted
    • Certificates filed electronically or via SCHSL portals
    • Any attachments, supporting documents, or eligibility explanations submitted to SCHSL
  • For each eligibility certificate, also include:
    • Emails, memos, or communications related to the creation, correction, or submission of these certificates.
    • Any internal LR5 notes or documentation regarding eligibility questions, approvals, or concerns for the students listed above.
    • Any communications with SCHSL regarding these students’ eligibility.
    • Any supporting documents required for eligibility certification (address verification, grade validation, attendance verification, transfer documentation, hardship forms, etc.).

School District Five is generally prohibited from releasing personally identifiable information and education records about students pursuant to a federal law known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA"), subject to certain exceptions. Additionally, the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act specifically excludes from disclosure “[i]nformation of a personal nature where the public disclosure thereof would constitute unreasonable invasion of personal privacy.” S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-40(a)(2) (1991).


“Education records” include “those records, files, documents and other materials which – (i) contain information directly related to a student; and (ii) are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a person acting for such agency or institution.”  20 USC § 1232g(a)(4)(A).  FERPA regulations make clear that District records identifiable to a particular student are protected by FERPA. A record is a student's education record if it contains “personally identifiable information,” which is defined to include, among other things, "… information that, alone or in combination, is linked or linkable to a specific student that would allow a reasonable person in the school community, who does not have personal knowledge of the relevant circumstances, to identify the student with reasonable certainty; or information requested by a person who the educational agency or institution reasonably believes knows the identity of the student to whom the education record relates."  34 CFR § 99.3.

Please accept this as our final determination and response regarding your request.  Additionally, please be advised that the district’s good faith efforts to respond to your records request should in no way be interpreted or construed as the district’s agreement with the manner in which you have characterized certain records you have requested.
Tommy Sevilla 11/25/2025 1.  Statements of Economic Interest (SEIs) – All SEIs filed by Kimberly Fulton Snipes from 2022 through 2025.

2.  Ethics Filings – All ethics disclosures, amendments, updates or other filings by Ms. Snipes (including SEI corrections or addenda), and any related communications with the South Carolina State Ethics Commission concerning Ms. Snipes.

3.  Board Tenure and Compensation – Any records documenting Ms. Snipes’s start and end dates of service on the LR5 Board, including her oath of office, compensation records, and any documentation of her role (e.g. Board Chair) and terms of office.

4.  Internal Communications – All internal communications (including e-mails and memoranda) among LR5 officials or trustees (including Dr. Ross and Ms. Taylor) that reference:
  • Ms. Snipes’s SEIs, ethics compliance, or eligibility to serve on the school board, and
  • any concerns or discussions about her holding dual offices (specifically any overlap with service on the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission), and
  • any references to “Snipes Carrier Services LLC” or “Snipes Services LLC.”
5.  Legal and Ethics Opinions – All legal opinions, ethics advisories, conflict-of-interest reviews, or related legal analyses involving Kimberly Snipes from 2022 to the present.

6.  Human Affairs Commission Correspondence – Any resignation letters, notices of withdrawal, or official correspondence regarding Ms. Snipes’s appointment to or service on the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission.

7.  Compensation Records – Any records of stipend, salary, or other compensation paid to Kimberly Snipes by the District (including any 1099s, payroll records, or stipend disbursements) from 2022 through 2025.

School District Five does not possess any responsive documents for Items 1-6 above.  However, please find attached documents responsive to Item 7.  Please be advised that the district’s good faith efforts to respond to your records request should in no way be interpreted or construed as the district’s agreement with the manner in which you have characterized certain records you have requested.

https://lexrich5org.finalsite.com/fs/resource-manager/view/f6e6f440-cba2-4435-b07e-6a1456dc6253

https://lexrich5org.finalsite.com/fs/resource-manager/view/b034656b-2451-47e4-9c29-d3b9a3dfba8f

https://lexrich5org.finalsite.com/fs/resource-manager/view/99cc3f6a-28e8-4a70-b670-f8e2462d019a

https://lexrich5org.finalsite.com/fs/resource-manager/view/e2f39c1a-3a61-4b8a-836a-590e81df817a

https://lexrich5org.finalsite.com/fs/resource-manager/view/f72fc172-c157-4983-8568-e5e323e2e851
Anita Tamang 12/2/2025
SLP Toolkit – Contracts, Licensing, and District Usage:
All contracts, agreements, amendments, renewals, or addenda between the district and SLP Toolkit, including but not limited to:

Software licensing agreements

Data-tracking or progress monitoring tools

Caseload/workload management tools

Any SLP Toolkit modules that support IEP development, compliance, or related documentation

Any pricing schedules, scopes of work, service descriptions, or licensing documentation associated with the School District Five of Lexington & Richland Counties’ use of SLP Toolkit.

Any purchase orders, renewal notices, invoices, or statements of work issued by the School District Five of Lexington & Richland Counties to SLP Toolkit.

 

 Pursuant to the FOIA, access to public records is limited to South Carolina citizens.  The purpose of South Carolina's FOIA is to both ensure "citizens shall be advised of performance of public officials..." and "to make it possible for citizens, or their representatives, to learn and report fully the activities of their public officials..." S.C. Code §30-4-15.  Consistent with the stated purpose of the FOIA to inform citizens of South Carolina of the activities of their public officials, section 100 of the FOIA limits relief under the FOIA to "[a]ny citizen of the State."

The United States Supreme Court addressed and upheld a similar limitation in Virginia's FOIA.  In McBurney v. Young, 133 S.Ct. 1709 (2013), the Supreme Court held that Virginia's FOIA, which grants Virginia citizens access to public records, but grants no such right to non-Virginians, is reasonable and does not violate the Constitution's Privilege and Immunities Clause or Dormant Commerce Clause.  Like Virginia, South Carolina's public bodies are not obliged by the FOIA to further burden their taxpayers and citizens with the production of records under FOIA to non-citizens.

Based on your named company, it does not appear that you are a South Carolina citizen.  However, School District Five will be happy to reconsider the request if we are mistaken.  Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
Tommy Sevilla 12/10/2025
  • Hydration Testing Records (Required by SCHSL Wrestling Weight-Management Program)
    • All urine hydration test results (refractometer readings).
    • Dates, times, and locations of hydration testing.
    • Names of the test administrators (trainer, nurse, doctor, or certified personnel).
    • Records of failed hydration tests, retests, and 48-hour retest compliance.
    • Any logs, summaries, emails, notes, spreadsheets, or internal discussions documenting hydration testing or lack thereof.
  • Body-Fat / Skinfold Measurement Records (Middle School Wrestlers Only)
    • Skinfold/body-fat measurement forms or digital entries.
    • Athletes’ testing dates and results.
    • Names of personnel who performed the tests.
    • Any retest instructions, corrections, or missing data notices.
  • OPC / TrackWrestling Records (Middle School Wrestlers Only)
    • Alpha Master Sheets
    • Competition Data Weigh-In Sheets
    • Minimum weight class certifications
    • OPC entries, logs, edits, or corrections made by assessors
  • Weight-descent plans or minimum-weight calculations
    • If these were not completed for middle school wrestlers, that absence must be explicitly documented in writing.
  • Eligibility & Participation Records (Middle School Wrestlers Only)
    • Complete middle-school wrestling rosters (by year).
    • Tournament/dual meet weigh-in sheets including middle-school wrestlers.
    • Any Certificates of Eligibility filed with SCHSL listing middle-school wrestlers.
    • Match lineups, scoring sheets, weigh-in logs, or tournament check-ins showing middle-school wrestler participation.
  • District Communications & Compliance Records (Middle School Wrestlers Only)
    • Emails, memos, messages, or notes referencing hydration testing or weight management for middle-school wrestlers.
    • Emails between LR5 administrators, athletic directors, nurses, trainers, or coaches regarding: Hydration testing, OPC entries, Safety compliance, Missing testing
    • Any internal concerns, parent complaints, safety warnings, or incident reports related to middle-school wrestler weight management or hydration.
  • Records Demonstrating Absence of Testing (If Applicable)
    • If LR5 did not perform hydration testing, body-fat testing, or OPC certification for any middle-school wrestlers, provide:
      • A written statement confirming the absence of required testing for those athletes.
      • Identification of specific schools, teams, seasons, or years where no testing occurred.
      • Any explanation, justification, or internal discussion regarding why the required testing was not performed.

School District Five will not be able to provide responsive records pursuant to this request due to the fact that the District is generally prohibited from releasing personally identifiable information and education records about students pursuant to a federal law known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA"), subject to certain exceptions.


“Education records” include “those records, files, documents and other materials which – (i) contain information directly related to a student; and (ii) are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a person acting for such agency or institution.”  20 USC § 1232g(a)(4)(A).  FERPA regulations make clear that District records identifiable to a particular student are protected by FERPA. A record is a student's education record if it contains “personally identifiable information,” which is defined to include, among other things, "… information that, alone or in combination, is linked or linkable to a specific student that would allow a reasonable person in the school community, who does not have personal knowledge of the relevant circumstances, to identify the student with reasonable certainty; or information requested by a person who the educational agency or institution reasonably believes knows the identity of the student to whom the education record relates."  34 CFR § 99.3.

In addition, please be advised that, according to the 2025-26 Rules and Regulations of the South Carolina High School League, the Weight Management program for wrestlers is only required for students in grades 9-12.