Accessing Information

There are many ways to access general information about the Board:

• Visit the Board website for records such as policies & procedures, our newsroom, meetings & minutes; and annual budget
• Contact us by telephone at 905-727-3141 or via email; or
• Contact the school principal or superintendent.

Students, parents and guardians can request access to their personal information held by the Board by contacting the Principal of the school their child attends. Please be aware that while an individual has access rights to their own personal information and general records, they do not have access rights to information about other individuals.

While a student is under the age of 18 and not living independently, the parent or guardian retains a right of access to their child’s information. The Principal will provide you with the information you request if you are legally entitled to receive a copy of it.

You also have the right to request correction of any personal information you believe to be inaccurate. 

An FOI request is a formal request for access to information that is in the custody or control of the Board, made under MFIPPA.  An FOI request is generally a request for information that may be particularly complex, broad or sensitive; for example, exemptions to the disclosure may apply (i.e. third-party information, solicitor-client privilege, etc.).

You can submit an FOI request by following the steps below:

• complete the Access to Information Request Form, or send an email detailing the nature of your request; and
• provide the $5.00 mandatory non-refundable application fee. 

Payment can be made by credit card or cheque made payable to the York Region District School Board:

Information Access and Privacy Office
York Region District School Board
60 Wellington Street West
Aurora, Ontario
L4G 3H2

It is our commitment to ensure that everyone can access records, where permitted within MFIPPA.

To support you in this process, we will:

• Respond promptly to questions about submitting a request;
• Provide guidance on how to clearly describe the information you are seeking;
• Contact you if your request needs clarification or more detail, and help you revise it.

We aim to make the process clear, accessible, and supportive for all.

Upon receipt of your FOI request and payment of the mandatory $5.00 application fee, the Board has 45 business days to respond to your request, in accordance with the timelines set out in MFIPPA. 

We will make every effort to respond to you within this timeframe.  

In some cases, additional time may be required. This may occur where:

• The request is broad or complex
• A large volume of records must be searched or reviewed
• Consultation with third parties is necessary

For large or high‑volume requests, the Board may also propose a staged access plan, releasing records in phases to provide information to you as quickly as possible.

If a time extension is required, we will notify you in writing, including the reason for the extension and the expected timeline for response.

Fees

In addition to the $5.00 non-refundable application fee, MFIPPA, R.R.O 1990, Regulation 823: General sets out specific fees to be charged for processing FOI Requests.  Fees are categorized as follows:

General Information/Records