Many municipalities and school districts are connecting with the public via websites and email, enabling the residents and taxpayers to receive relevant new information, maintain contact and learn about upcoming events with little effort and expense.

For Sunshine Week we decided to see what information is available to the public in our coverage area.Websites helps municipal secretaries and school districts easily reach a large number of people so they can share information about services and also gives them an avenue to provide information to people who are new to the area so they can learn more about their community.School districts can share information with parents about school regulations, snow days or late starts and provide school board minutes, plus share information about upcoming events. A website provides a way for parents to learn about their child's activities, upcoming programs, lunch menus and schedules.Websites help provide a way for large numbers of people to receive information en masse that was never available in past generations.However, what has become commonplace for most townships, boroughs and school districts is still only an item on some communities' wish lists.The websites vary in sophistication and transparency. Some list everything from meeting minutes to complete board rosters and meeting minutes to keep taxpayers informed.Three municipalities have no website at all.In East Penn Township, Deanna Cunfer is the township secretary and also maintains the township website. In January, she added the title of township supervisor."Our website isn't fancy, but it's free and it serves the purpose," Cunfer said. "It has some forms, moving permits and the right to know," she said. "I've gone on a lot of websites and other communities might have a fancier website, but then it's not updated."Cunfer said that it takes her seconds to get on the website to make any changes."Many people still call our office," she said.Cunfer noted that in the event of an emergency or important issues, she is able to do a mass email."I might do a mass email if the police say there has been a rash of break-ins and we want to warn people to lock their cars," Cunfer said. "For us, our website serves the purpose."Schuylkill Township secretary Mary Bubel said that a website has never been discussed."I really wouldn't have the time," Bubel said. "I'm only part-time and I would have no time to handle it."She said that when there are issues that need to be addressed to the community, postings are made at the post office or fire company."I don't have an extra minute," Bubel said. "I even collect the trash."In Summit Hill, Kira Steber said that as soon as she catches up with her workload she will be sending minutes to the webmaster to post."Our last secretary didn't see a need for minutes on the website," Steber said. "Once I get caught up, I'll eventually get back to posting minutes. It's been the least of my worries."In Chestnuthill Township, former intern and present administrative assistant John Mathews is the borough webmaster."I'm 23, and when I was the intern, I did the website," he said. "Since I'm young, I grew up with this, so it's simple for me. I was made full-time this year and this is how we keep everyone informed."Mathews said that he also is the township's grant writer.Each of the townships, boroughs and school districts except for Lansford Borough has a Right-to-Know officer listed, and only Schuylkill Township, Tamaqua and Weissport have no online presence at all.A Right-to-Know officer is a person designated to receive requests for public records and acts on requests by approving or denying them and maintaining records of requests.Melissa Melewsky of the Media Law Counsel said that all municipalities and school districts should make positive efforts to be forthcoming."Many communities are taking the approach to have open data without the necessity of a request," Melewsky said.She said that she realizes that some communities do not have the technical capabilities of a website."That is why newspapers are so important," she added. "In the absence of a website, it is still very important to have open records and make them available to the public. It should not be a struggle to get access to public records. It's inappropriate when citizens are not getting information."