FAQ
Questions and answers
Short answers to the questions people ask most, with a link to the full details for each.
Is Receipts an official HBCSD website?
No. Receipts is an independent project founded by Ethan Bell. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by the Huntington Beach City School District. It uses only the district's public documents, and every quote and figure links to its source. Terms
Is Receipts for or against the district?
Neither. Receipts aims to be fair to the district and faithful to the record: it makes results easy to find, including what's working. Stamps describe what public documents show, never anyone's character or effort. So far, 3 decisions are stamped "Goal met." Our approach
How are decisions chosen?
By two written rules: it has to be a money decision, and the district has to have stated a specific, checkable goal. 95 board meetings have been checked this way so far, and 13 decisions met both rules. Items aren't chosen by whether the result is likely to look good or bad. The tracking rules
What does "Not enough data" mean? Did something go wrong?
It usually means the district's standard year-end reports show totals, such as all classified salaries together, rather than the single position or program the goal was about. It isn't a sign anything went wrong. Each of those pages names the one record that would settle it. Data gaps
Does the district get a say?
Yes. For new stamps, the district gets 10 business days to review the record before it's published. It's always welcome to share its perspective, which is added to the page in its own words, and to point to any document that should change a stamp. How district responses work
Can the district, or anyone else, change a stamp?
Only with evidence. If a document shows a stamp is wrong, it's corrected and the change is noted on the page with the date. If someone disagrees without a new document, the stamp stays and their perspective can be shown beside it. No one can buy, edit, or veto a stamp. If the district disagrees
Does Receipts use AI?
AI tools assist with searching the district's public documents and cross-checking quotes and numbers against the originals. A person reviews every record and every stamp before it's published, and stamps are never generated automatically. How a stamp is decided
Does the founder have any connection to the district?
Yes, and it's disclosed. Ethan Bell completed a summer 2026 internship with the district, and his father is a senior administrator in the district's Technology Services department. Receipts uses only public documents, nothing learned during the internship. Decisions involving a department where a family member works get a second, independent reviewer before their result is published, and the page says so. See the Disclosures section on the About page. Disclosures
Who pays for Receipts?
Receipts doesn't charge any district. Coverage of the Huntington Beach City School District is free, and coverage for other districts is coming later. How it will be funded will be explained here before it begins. Independence and funding
Does Receipts use any student information?
No. Receipts uses only public board documents: agendas, minutes, and budget reports. It never asks for, receives, or stores information about students. Privacy
Does Receipts cost a district anything?
Receipts doesn't charge any district. Coverage of the Huntington Beach City School District is free, coverage for other districts is coming later, and reading Receipts is always free for everyone. Coverage for other districts
I think something is wrong. What should I do?
Please send a correction, ideally with a link to the document that shows the right information. Every submission is read, and significant fixes are noted on the decision page with the date. Send a correction
Can Receipts cover my district?
That's the goal. Anyone can ask: parents, teachers, students, staff, and board members. The "Ask your district" tool drafts a friendly email or public comment for you. Ask your district
How do I keep up with new results?
Sign up for "Get every new stamp by email," follow a single decision from its page, use the RSS feed on the Updates page, or add upcoming board meetings to your calendar from the Board meetings page. Updates
Can I use the data, cards, or summaries?
Yes. The open data files, yearly summaries, agenda template, and decision link cards are free to share and reuse. Please credit Receipts and link to the decision pages so readers can see the sources. Reusing Receipts
What information does Receipts collect about me?
Very little. Visits are counted without cookies or personal information. If you send a message or sign up for emails, your email address is used only for that, and it's never sold. Privacy
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