The York Region District School Board ("Board") is committed to respecting and protecting the personal information in our custody and control. For more information on how and why the Board collects and handles personal information, review our Privacy Notice.
In addition to governing the protection of an individual's personal information, MFIPPA also supports the right of access to certain information within the custody and control of the Board. This is often referred to as a Freedom of Information request.
Please note, there may be fees associated with accessing information under MFIPPA.
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, made under MFIPPA, that is in the custody or control of the Board. 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
Upon receipt of your FOI request and payment of the mandatory $5.00 application fee, the Board has 30 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 the 30 days. However, if the scope of your request is broad, the request involves searching for, and reviewing a large number of records, or third-party consultation is required, a time extension may be required. We will notify you in writing if a time extension applies.
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
|
Type of Fee |
Cost |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Search Time |
$7.50 for each 15 minutes |
Costs related to searching for the requested record(s) |
|
Preparation Time |
$7.50 for each 15 minutes |
Costs related to reviewing and preparing records for release (including severing part of a record, as required) |
|
Photocopies |
$0.20 cent per page |
Costs related to producing the record(s) |
|
Appeal |
$25.00 |
Costs required to file an appeal to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. The fee must be in the form of a cheque or money order made payable to the Ministry of Finance with your letter of appeal. |