Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy

Privacy

The York Catholic District School Board is committed to the safety and security of the personal information that we have custody and control of. Policy #112 Privacy and Personal Information Management promotes a standard of privacy protection that complies with:

  • The Education Act;
  • The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA);
  • The Personal Health Information Privacy Act (PHIPA)

Notice of Collection

School boards collect, use and disclose personal information of individuals in the course of delivering educational services and to provide programs in accordance with the Education Act and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The York Catholic District School Board may collect, retain, use and/or disclose the personal information it collects as follows:

  • For the purpose for which it was collected or a consistent purpose;
  • To board employees who need access to the information in the performance of their job duties in accordance with the board’s authorized function and operations;
  • To comply with legislation, a court order or subpoena or to aid in a law enforcement investigation conducted by a law enforcement agency; and
  • In compelling circumstances affecting health, safety or discipline, providing notice of disclosure to the individual
  • Under the authority of the Education Act and Regulations (R.S.O. 1990 c.E.2) as amended.

The use and/or disclosure of Student Personal Information at YCDSB

Instructional Uses

  • to assess and evaluate ‘student achievement and well-being’;
  • to create and maintain OSRs, transcripts and progress reports for each student;
  • to promote student health, well-being and safety;
  • to facilitate education activities with third-party partnerships and contracts such as Google, and other classroom resources;
  • to support research to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies and programs in an effort to continuously improve education outcomes for all learners;
  • to support special education programs and services; and
  • to participate in field trips, extracurricular activities, community/school and local Parish events

Administrative Uses

  • to register students in the Student Information System, manage attendance, develop timetables and to support safe arrival practices;
  • student medical health information provided by parents/guardians may be used by school staff to address student medical needs, plan for medical emergencies and may be shared with transportation providers for the safety of students; and
  • medical emergency plans for students with life-threatening medical conditions may be posted in identified areas of the school for emergency response purposes;

Celebrating Student Achievement

  • student work may be displayed in the classroom, school hallways or the Catholic Education Centre (CEC);
  • school events and activities may be reported in school newsletters and on school and board websites, Twitter and Instagram;
  • student names and/or photographs will be included in school yearbooks, school programs (e.g., commencement or graduation programs, school plays and musical productions) or on student awards lists and honour rolls.

Questions or concerns regarding the collection, use or sharing of student personal information should be directed to the Privacy Officer at 905-713-1211 x13030.

Personal Health Information

Further to personal information, the Board has Health Information Custodians, which include Psychologists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists that are further governed by the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).

As such, all information collected by professional staff about an individual in the course of practicing psychology or speech-language pathology or social work, is considered personal health information under the Personal Health Information Protection Act, (PHIPA). This includes your name and contact information and any information collected / recorded in the course of providing services to you.

Questions or concerns regarding the collection, use or sharing of student personal health information should be directed to the Privacy Officer at 905-713-1211 x13030.

Freedom of Information

Before making a formal request for information

Many records are available without making a formal FOI request under MFIPPA. Our website has links to many key documents including; Board Meeting agendas and minutes, School Board policies, procedures, and finances.

If you are  looking for specific information or to access records, you may contact the YCDSB Privacy Officer to determine if a formal request for information should be submitted.

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA)  provides a process for the public to access specific information from the YCDSB. You can follow this simple two-step process:

How to make an freedom of information (FOI) request

  1. Step 1: Complete a MFIPPA Request Form stating that you are requesting information or asking for your personal information under MFIPPA. Please provide the type of records that are being requested, and the specific time frame for the documents being requested. Provide as much detail as possible, to ensure a timely response.
  2. Step 2: Forward the completed request form to the YCDSB Privacy Officer, along with a $5.00 application fee. Cheque made payable to: York Catholic District School Board.

Note:

The mandatory $5.00 application fee must be paid when submitting a Freedom of Information request. Please be advised the $5.00 application fee cannot be waived and is non-refundable.

Submit your FOI request to:

Attn: Privacy Officer
York Catholic District School Board
320 Bloomington Road West Aurora, ON L4G 0M1

Timeline for receiving the requested information

Under the Act, the YCDSB has 30 days to respond to information requests. On occasion, the Privacy Officer may ask for an extension, and it will be provided in writing to the requestor.

Associated fees for requested documents

Under the Act, the YCDSB may charge additional costs, depending on the type of records requested. However, a cost estimate will be provided prior to the completion of the request.

How to file an appeal relating to the access of information

Appeals are filed with the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) of Ontario,  who is independent of the government or any institution.

You may ask for a review of decisions within 30 days of receiving a decision by writing to: The Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario, 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8, Tel.:1-800-387-0073.

If you decide to request a review of this decision, please provide the Commissioner’s office with the following:

  • the file number listed at the beginning of this letter;
  • a copy of this decision letter; and
  • a copy of the original request for information you sent to our institution.

In addition, you must send an appeal fee to the Commissioner’s office. If your request was for your personal information, the appeal fee is $10.00. The appeal fee for all other requests for information is $25.00. Please include the fee with your letter of appeal – appeal fees should be in the form of either a cheque or money order payable to “Minister of Finance”

Questions regarding access to information or the correction of personal information should be directed to the Privacy Officer at 905-713-1211 x13030 or via mail:

Freedom of Information Question
Privacy Officer
York Catholic District School Board
320 Bloomington Road West Aurora, ON L4G 0M1