Close
Skip to Content
HDSB Logo
Main menu icon
I'd Like to...
  • Access eLearning courses
  • Apply for a Job
  • Find Adult and Continuing Education
  • Find My Local School
  • Find Student Busing
  • Get Homework Help
  • Pay Online
  • Register My Child for School
  • Rent School Space
  • Report A Student Absence
  • Request a Transcript
  • Resolve an Issue/Concern
  • Transfer within the Halton District
  • Volunteer
Alerts
  • Parents
    • Absence Reporting - SchoolMessenger
    • Calendar
    • Get Involved
    • Health and Well-Being
    • New to Halton
    • Register My Child for School
    • Special Education Programs and Placements
    • Welcome to a New School Year
    • Before and After School Care
    • COVID-19
    • Halton Community Resources
    • Human Rights & Equity
    • Pay Online
    • Report Cards
    • Technology & You
    • Why Choose HDSB?
    • Bus Cancellation and School Closure – Inclement Weather
    • Find My Local School
    • HDSB Mobile App
    • Kindergarten
    • Privacy and Freedom of Information (FOI)
    • Safe Schools
    • Transportation
  • Students
    • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
    • COVID-19
    • Graduation Requirements
    • High School Info Night
    • International Students
    • Safe Schools
    • Student Senate
    • Welcome Centre for Newcomer Students
    • Calendar
    • Environmental Leadership
    • Halton Cloud
    • Homework Help, Guidelines and Tools
    • Library Services
    • Secondary School
    • Transcript Requests
    • Community Involvement Hours
    • Expelled or Suspended Students (H.O.P.E.S.)
    • Health and Well-Being
    • Indigenous Rights & Education
    • Online Resources
    • Student Excellence Awards
    • Virtual Learning
  • Schools
    • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
    • Distribution of Materials to Schools
    • Information Technology in Schools
    • Program Accommodation Studies
    • Rent School Space
    • School Construction Projects
    • School Hours
    • Transfer Schools within the HDSB
    • Who to Contact
    • COVID-19
    • Find My Local School
    • Our Schools
    • Register My Child for School
    • School Boundary Reviews
    • School Enrolments
    • Secondary School
    • Transportation
    Image School Listing
    School Listing
  • Learning and Resources
    • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
    • Curriculum
    • English Language Learners-ELL
    • French
    • International and Indigenous Languages Elementary
    • Library Services
    • Secondary Education and Pathways
    • Virtual Learning
    • Arts Programs
    • De-Streaming
    • EQAO
    • Health and Physical Education
    • Kindergarten
    • Literacy & Math Resources
    • Special Education Programs and Placements
    • Before and After School Care
    • Elementary Education Programs
    • First Nation, Métis and Inuit Students
    • Innovation in Education at the HDSB
    • Learning & Tutoring Opportunities
    • Prior Learning Assessment
    • Summer School
  • Our Board
    • 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan
    • Board of Trustees
    • Contact Us
    • Get Involved
    • HDSB Employee Groups
    • How to Resolve Issues and Concerns
    • Labour Updates
    • Policies and Administrative Procedures
    • Accessibility
    • Budget and Financial Information
    • Departments
    • Halton Learning Foundation
    • HDSB Student & Staff Census
    • Human Rights & Equity
    • Livestream
    • Publications
    • Administration and Superintendents
    • Careers at the HDSB
    • Director's Cut - Videos
    • Have Your Say Survey
    • HDSBcares
    • Indigenous Rights & Education
    • News
    • Reimagine Forward

Privacy and Freedom of Information FAQs

subnav icon More
Home/Parents/Privacy and Freedom of Information (FOI)/Privacy and Freedom of Information FAQs/
Decrease Text Size Default Text Size Increase Text Size
Print Link
Share Link

More in this Section...

  • Privacy and Freedom of Information (FOI)
    • Privacy and Freedom of Information FAQs
  • Absence Reporting - SchoolMessenger
  • Before and After School Care
  • Bus Cancellation and School Closure – Inclement Weather
  • Calendar
  • COVID-19
  • Find My Local School
  • First Nation, Métis and Inuit Students
  • Get Involved
  • Halton Community Resources
  • HDSB Mobile App
  • Health and Well-Being
  • Human Rights & Equity
  • Human Rights & Equity
  • Kindergarten
  • New to Halton
  • Pay Online
  • Register My Child for School
  • Report Cards
  • Safe and Accepting Schools
  • Safe Schools
  • Special Education Programs and Placements
  • Technology & You
  • Transportation
  • Welcome to a New School Year
  • Why Choose HDSB?

Quick Links

  • Bullying Prevention
  • Find My Local School
  • Get Involved
  • Parent Portal (Secondary)
  • Register My Child for School
  • Report a Student Absence

Page Image

Page Content

​​​​​​​​​​Refer to the Halton District School Board’s Statement of Personal Information Practices. 

What protections (policies and procedures) does the Board have in place to protect personal information?
The Halton District School Board is subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Personal Privacy legislation. In addition, the Board has a Privacy and Information Management Policy, and related procedures dealing with protection practices for mobile devices (laptops, PDAs, etc.) and how to handle a breach of information.
What does the Privacy and Information Management Policy entail?
The Halton District School Board’s Privacy and Information Management Policy outlines the Board’s commitment to the protection of personal information under its control and to the individuals’ right of privacy regarding personal information that is collected, used, disclosed, and retained in the school system.​

The policy is based on the “Privacy Standard” developed by the provincial Privacy Information Management (PIM) Taskforce for use by Ontario school boards/authorities. It is based on globally recognized fair information principles and is grounded in Ontario privacy legislation, specifically the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Personal Privacy Act (MFIPPA), the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), the Education Act (including the Ontario Student Record Guidelines, and the Personal Information and Protection of Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

Other procedures relating to the protection of information fall under this policy.
What practices does the Board implement for protection of privacy on portable devices?
The Halton District School Board recognizes that mobile technologies are regularly used by Halton District School Board employees. These devices enhance the quality of work and life for employees but dramatically increase the risk for data loss and personal information disclosure. The Protection of Board-owned Mobile Devices procedure is intended to reduce this risk.

Mobile devices include, but are not limited to all portable electronic devices that contain or access data including cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, memory storage, USB sticks/drives.

This procedure sets a standard for all Board laptops and PDAs to be password protected, and to time-out after 20 minutes of inactivity (after which time, a password is required to reactivate the computer). Additionally, all administrators and central staff must utilize encrypted hard drive storage on their computers.
What steps does the Board take if there’s an information breach?

The Halton District School Board has a procedure it implements in a situation where a breach has occurred. These steps are outlined in the Halton District School Board’s Breach of Privacy Notification. When it has been determined who may be potentially affected by the breach, notification will be provided to those affected. If the potential breach affects a larger group, a system message will be sent out from the Board’s Home Notification email system, notifying all who may be impacted.

Any notification message will contain the following:

  • the scope of the recipients who are receiving the message (ie: all parents/guardians, or parents/guardians of a particular school or grade)
  • a reference to this FAQ for further information on the Board’s policies, procedures and practices.

Any questions relating to the potential breach should be directed through the Director’s Office (emailing director@hdsb.ca) to the Board’s Manager of Freedom of Information and Protection of Personal Privacy, and/or the Board’s Communications Manager.

What kind of training is provided to staff regarding the storage of private information?
The Halton District School Board’s Privacy and Information Management (PIM) Committee meets monthly to review policies, procedures and investigate new strategies related to privacy. Part of the team’s responsibility is to implement an ongoing awareness campaign designed to keep the issue of security and privacy in the forefront for all staff. This includes education and awareness - posters, email notices, newsletters and other documentation from the provincial Privacy Information Management (PIM) Taskforce, as well as tips, techniques and strategies for individual use.
How often are the Board’s privacy standards reviewed?
The Halton District School Board’s policies and procedures regarding privacy and information management, encryption of mobile devices, and related issues are reviewed regularly. Procedures are reviewed by the Board’s Privacy and Information Management (PIM) Committee and senior administration, and policies are reviewed by the Board of trustees before being submitted for public input on our website.



​

 

Board Office

Halton District School Board
J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Burlington, Ontario, L7P 5A8

Numbers

Phone: 905-335-3663
Fax: 905-335-9802

Links
Email Us
A to Z ServicesAccessibilityContact UsTransportationFeedbackStaffCareers
​​​​​​​​© 2023 Halton District School Board, 2050 Guelph Line, Burlington, ON, Canada L7P 5A8, Phone Switchboard: 905-335-3663

Auto Attendant: 905-335-3665, ​Toll Free: 1-877-618-3456, Fax: 905-335-9802