Privacy and Freedom of Information

As a public school board, the Halton District School Board is identified as an institution in the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The HDSB is a Health Information Custodian (HIC) operating a group practice of health care practitioners including social workers, occupational therapists, behaviour analysts, speech-language pathologists, and psychoeducational consultants. Individual health care practitioners are agents of the HDSB.
PSSP staff follow policies and procedures set out by the Board and operate in accordance with Standards of Practice set out by their regulatory bodies. Identifying and enabling compliance is the responsibility of the HDSB.

Student Personal Health Information Electronic Storage and Security​

Personal Health Information is encrypted and held on secure servers in Ontario. The vendor's safeguards meet industry standards, and the vendor's proposal and the contract that was signed were reviewed and approved by HDSB Information Services and the Board's legal counsel. ​

Freedom of Information​ (FOI)

The Halton District School Board’s website contains many records that are available to the public without a formal freedom of information request. Key documents such as procedures, policies, press releases, agendas, and minutes are easily accessible. 

If you can't find the information you're looking for on the Halton District School Board website, you can: 
  • Email us with a question to determine whether a formal request of information should be submitted at privacy@hdsb.ca 
  • Submit an information request (see below “How to submit an FOI Request”) 
  • Phone us at 905-335-3663 or toll free at 1-877-618-3456 
If an information request is complex or sensitive, it may require a more formal process called a Freedom of Information Request (FOI). In this case, you can get information through the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), which protects:
  • The public's right of access to information
  • An individual's right to protection of privacy
​This includes most general records and any records containing an individual's own personal information. An individual only has access to their own personal information, and no access to personal information about other students/employees.

To submit for an FOI request:  

  1. In a letter, describe exactly the information you want and enclose a $5 application fee in cash or cheque payable to the Halton District School Board​. 
  2. Deliver the letter and application fee to Freedom of Information Manager c/o Information Services, Halton District School Board at 2050 Guelph Line, Burlington, ON  L7P 5A8

We charge the following costs for your request, according to FOI legislation:

  • $30 per hour of search and preparation time for general information
  • $0.20 cents/page for photocopying
  • Postage fees

Other charges could include computer programming time or any costs incurred by the Board in completing your request. If your request is likely to be more than $25, we will provide you with a cost estimate before we do the work.

FOI legislation allows us 30 days to respond to requests, but we will get back to you as soon as we've gathered the information.​

Not satisfied with our response to your request? You can file an appeal with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner within 30 days of the Board's decision.

For more information about FOI requests, you can contact privacy@hdsb.ca or call 905-335-3663 or toll free at 1-877-618-3456 or visit one of the following websites:

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