Privacy and Freedom of Information

The Trillium Lakelands District School Board collects and processes personal information to provide educational services. Some examples of personal information are names, addresses, phone numbers and date of birth. The personal information identified in this form is collected pursuant to the provisions of the Education Act including but not limited to sections 169.1-173 and in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), and the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).

School boards have a duty under provincial law to protect personal information. MFIPPA requires that parents/ legal guardians of students under the age of 16 (and students 16 years of age and older) be informed about how their personal information is used, disclosed and maintained. By virtue of students receiving accommodations and/or accessing supports or services, personal information or personal health information may be inadvertently disclosed.

All students have an Ontario Student Record (OSR). The OSR is the record of a student’s educational history and progress in Ontario. The school principal is responsible for the OSR. In addition to the OSR, we maintain secure electronic student records containing personal information.

Information shared without further notification

We will disclose your child’s and/or your personal information without further notification to you in the following ways:

• If your child suffers from a life-threatening medical condition, a Plan of Care will be developed and shared with appropriate staff, volunteers and transportation services (including bus carriers and their drivers).
• The Board provides the Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit with the pupil’s full name, address and telephone number; if applicable, every alternate name; gender; date of birth; school; Ontario Education Number; grade or class and the full name, address and telephone number of every parent or legal guardian of the pupil and their preferred language (as per Regulation 645 made under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).
• Secondary schools will:
  – Receive information in advance about incoming grade 8 students
  – Share information about individual student’s progress with the student’s previous elementary school
  – Send information about potential graduates (contact information, marks and transcripts) to the Ontario College Application Services and the Ontario Universities Application Centre
• Names and phone numbers may be shared with school approved volunteers, guests, or parents/guardians for safety and information purposes. Examples include:
  – Emergency contact lists
  – Safe arrival programs
  – School-related notices
  – Safety patrol lists
  – School trip, excursion, school related event, or virtual environment, where guests or volunteers are supporting or interacting with students
• Student names (first and last) and/or photographs may be printed in school programs for plays and musical productions, on student awards and plaques and in school yearbooks. Some schools may display the names and/or photos of graduating students in their school.
• Student names may be included on their work displayed in classrooms or in hallways
• Student accounts are provided for their own use and private to them but the board has the right to audit, investigate, and monitor accounts for appropriate use.
• Recordings:
  – The board uses surveillance equipment in some of our schools and on some school buses for safety reasons and property protection. The recording may be shared with authorities if necessary, according to board policy.
  – Video Recording or Photographs: Board staff and board-approved professionals may record or photograph students in school or during school activities as part of their educational program or for assessment. Informed consent is required to share this information outside of the school.

• Sharing Information with Agencies Working with the Board
  Personal information may be shared with approved agencies that assist the board in providing educational and administrative services.
  Examples include but are not limited to:
  – Transportation services, to identify students who qualify for bussing
  – The board insurance company and/or its legal counsel
  – The Ministry of Labour
  – Automated telecommunications provider to notify parents of upcoming events or that their child is absent from class
  – School photographers who take individual and class photographs to sell to parents and students, for student identification cards and for school records
  – Vendors who provide online services to create school yearbooks
  – Vendors who provide specialized equipment, resources and training for students with special needs
  – Special Olympics Ontario and the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSAA) for students who participate on athletic teams
  – Service providers providing online learning or educational administration services
  – Before and/or After School Care providers within the schools in relation to health and safety

What is informed consent?

To protect privacy, no personal information is provided to the public without informed consent.

A parent/guardian gives informed consent when they agree to the sharing of personal information, understand what will be shared, for what purposes it will be used, and who will receive the information.

Information for the general public

Media outlets (including online newspapers, radio and television stations) may report on activities such as graduations, student achievements/awards, and current events. Students are only photographed and/or identified with informed consent.

Note: If photography or video recording is permitted during events open to the public, such as school concerts or sporting events, it is generally not possible for the board to control the use of such recordings. However, we kindly remind anyone who may be taking pictures that they are respectful of the privacy rights of anyone they may capture in their recording and that they not share them in any way without the consent of the individual or if the individual is under the age of 16 the consent of their parent or legal guardian.

When informed consent is required

Listed below are some examples of where informed consent is required before sharing or disclosing information:

• To school-based Professional Student Support Personnel staff subject to the Regulated Health Professions Act
• When photographs or videos are taken for educational purposes and are to be shared outside the school
• When publicly displaying student work that includes their name
• For identifying students by name and or photograph in school newsletters and on a class, school and/or board websites and other social media

If you have concerns or questions about any of the information described above, please contact your principal as soon as possible. The above will apply unless an objection is made in writing to the principal seeking an alternative solution.

If you have questions about this notice, contact your principal or the privacy officer, Trillium Lakelands District School Board, 300 County Road 36, Lindsay, ON K9V 4R4, (705) 324-6776.

An index of types of personal information banks collected and used for reports, directories, lists, etc.

Definitions and use of digital tools

The Board refers to Trillium Lakelands District School Board and all its entities.

Personal information means information about an identifiable individual. Examples could include a name, unique identifying number or symbol together with other information about the individual.

Digital tools include software, applications (apps), web services, browser extensions, etc.

TLDSB uses digital tools to administer educational programs and associated services and to help deliver them in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

The collection of personal information using digital tools is for the purpose of providing education and education-related services such as instruction, assessment, and evaluation, as well as for ancillary and administrative services, such as attendance, transportation and facilities. The collection of personal information is necessary for us to deliver the services that we are mandated to provide by the Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.2.

Our teachers use digital tools to assist with differentiated instruction, to provide platforms for and offer parents/guardians tools for engagement. Digital tools are also used to gather student work, for assessment of a student’s knowledge, learning skills, work habits, behaviour, learning style, learning strengths and weaknesses, engagement, and achievement.

Our employees and contractors use digital tools to make the management of data more efficient.

Purpose of third-party digital tools

The Education Act authorizes us to collect and use personal information to provide the services that we deliver to students and their families.

The purposes listed below outline how digital technologies are used.

Board administration, Ministry reporting purposes, and legal requirements to share information with third parties.

Examples:

• Student registration and class placement
• Parent/guardian and emergency contact information and medical plans of care, if required
• Communication tools for school administrative purposes
• Attendance reporting and safe arrival programs
• Student evaluation tracking and report card programs
• Special Education and student services records (IEP, Safety Plans)
• Student transportation
• Student photos, yearbook creation, etc.
• Tracking the provision of devices and technologies to students
• Reporting to the medical officer of health, OFSSA, the Ministry of Education, and other third-party providers as authorized
• School-2-Home communication tools, parent portals, etc.
• Payment processing, i.e., field trips, etc.

Student instruction, assessment, and evaluation, including remote and online learning.

Examples: 

• Learning Management Systems (LMS) (i.e. Google Classroom, D2L/Brightspace)
• Video conferencing, communication, and collaboration tools (i.e. Google Workspace for Education, Microsoft Teams)
• Assessment and evaluation tools
• Behaviour and safety schools information
• Digital portfolios (i.e. myBlueprint, portfolio)

Education tools to support content creation, collaboration, creation, communication, critical thinking, and organization.

Examples:

• Coding programs 
• Blogging
• Digital math tools
• Word processing/slides design
• Music programs
• Video and music editors
• Organizational tools
• Digital reference library and databases
• Originality tools

Experiential learning

Examples:

• Simulations
• Digital field trips
• Guest speakers
• Cooperative education 
• SHSM

Legal requirements for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) regulates how a school board collects and manages personal information. 

1. Authority to collect personal information 

The Education Act and Ministry of Education provide the authority for school boards to collect personal information about you and your children attending school.

2. Notice of collection 

This notice is required to advise you that we will be collecting personal information belonging to our students and their parents/guardians to provide educational services. This notice outlines how the Board uses digital tools to fulfill its objectives.

3. Use of personal information 

We will only use the personal information collected for the reason it was collected, for a reason that is consistent with the reason it was collected, or with your consent to use it for a different purpose. 

4. Disclosure of personal information 

We will only disclose the personal information collected for the reason it was collected or for a consistent reason that is necessary and proper in our efforts to provide educational services. 

In some cases, the Board may disclose personal information to digital tool providers as agents, and they might be engaged to collect, use and/or retain personal information on behalf of the board for the board’s purposes. In such cases, the digital tool providers are providing the Board with services to fulfill the Board’s mandate and in a manner that meets the board’s legal responsibilities and policy requirements. 

When personal information is disclosed to digital tool providers, the Board retains ownership and control of the personal information. The providers are only permitted to use the information to provide services for the Board and the digital tool providers must ensure that the personal information is secure from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. 

5. Protection of personal information 

Reasonable security measures must be used to protect personal information from inadvertent or unauthorized access or disclosure.

• Only those individuals who require access to information to fulfill their job or contractual duties can have access;
• Service providers cannot directly or indirectly disclose, sell, share, destroy, exploit or use any personal information (except as permitted by law); and
• Industry standard security measures are required to be used to protect personal information.

6. Risk mitigation strategies to protect personal information 

The Board has policies and procedures that provide guidance for staff and service providers about when and how they can use digital tools that collect personal information. 

Strategies are used, when possible and appropriate, to prevent the collection of personal information that is not needed for the Board’s purposes. Examples include using teacher generated codes, pseudonyms, or anonymous user accounts and/or minimization of personal information collected by the digital tool.

Questions or concerns? 

Any questions you have about how the Board collects, uses or discloses personal information may be referred to [email protected].

Any questions you have about the Board’s use of digital tools or a particular digital tool used in your child’s classroom may be referred to [email protected] or your child’s school principal.