Facts and Procedural History:

For purposes of simplification, the information presented by the person who requested this opinion and the response from the government entity with which the person disagrees are presented in summary form. Copies of the complete submissions are on file at the offices of IPA and, except for any data classified as not public, are available for public access.

On November 15, 2000, IPA received a letter dated November 14, 2000, from Jeffrey Bradt. In his letter, Mr. Bradt requested assistance from the Commissioner in obtaining certain data maintained by Special School District 1, Minneapolis. In an e-mail dated November, 22, 2000, Mr. Bradt clarified that he was seeking an advisory opinion. In two additional e-mails, both dated and forwarded to the District on December 4, 2000, Mr. Bradt explained that he had received some information from the District.

IPA, on behalf of the Commissioner, wrote to Carol Johnson, Superintendent of the District, in response to Mr. Bradt's request. The purposes of this letter, dated November 28, 2000, were to inform her of Mr. Bradt's request and to ask her to provide information or support for the District's position. On December 11, IPA received comments, dated December 5, 2000, from Dan Loewenson, Assistant to the Superintendent.

A summary of the facts is as follows. In a letter dated September 7, 2000, Mr. Bradt requested the following information from Mr. Loewenson:

1. Total compensation paid to all Minneapolis Public School employees, by employee, in calendar year 1999. The information should include:
2. Employee name
3. Job title
4. Job code
5. Total compensation (as reported on their W-2)
6. Total overtime compensation
7. Total hours of overtime worked
8. For all job classifications currently held by Minneapolis School employees:
9. Job title
10. Job code
11. Bargaining unit
12. Salary range maximum
13. Salary range minimum
14. Number of vacation days earned per year
15. Number of sick days earned per year
16. Number of holidays
17. Total fees paid to National Benefits and/or Bill Williams and the contractual basis for those fees.

Mr. Bradt wrote he believed that providing the information on a diskette in the form of an Excel Spreadsheet would be the least costly. He also enclosed $50 to cover any charges.

On September 18, 2000, the District acknowledged receipt of Mr. Bradt's request and sent Mr. Bradt data in response to his items 8-16.

On October 4, 2000, Mr. Bradt sent a follow-up letter to Mr. Loewenson and enclosed another $50, reiterating his request that the data be provided in an electronic format.

On October 24, 2000, Mr. Bradt sent an e-mail to Mr. Loewenson. He expressed concern that the District had not yet sent him the data. He wrote, Given, then, that this information is already overdue, I am requesting that - rather then [sic] add to the delay - you send it to me as soon as possible and bill me for any charges over $100. Also, as noted in my letters, my strong preference is that the information be sent on diskette as an Excel spreadsheet.

In his December 4, 2000, e-mail to IPA staff, Mr. Bradt wrote:

[t]he only information I have received thusfar [sic] are copies of the [District's] collective bargaining agreements. Although those agreements contain information relative to items 8-16, that information is of no use without knowing how many persons are actually employed in each of the units, in which job titles, and their total compensation. That is the information I requested in items 1-7. I have received no information relating to those items.

In addition, I have not received any information relative to item 17 of my request.