Freedom of Information Process

What is the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (MFIPPA)?

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (“MFIPPA”) is the privacy legislation that Toronto District School Board (TDSB) abides by when collecting, retaining, using, disclosing, and disposing of personal information. In addition to regulating the protection of an individual’s personal information within TDSB’s records, MFIPPA also deals with the right of access to these records, access procedures and exemption to the right of access.  

The purpose of MFIPPA is:

• To provide a right of access to information under the control of TDSB according to the principles below:
  • information should be available to the public;
  • necessary exemptions (i.e. personal information, third party information, solicitor-client privilege, and etc.) from the right of access should be limited and specific; and
  • decisions on the disclosure of information should be reviewed independently of the institution controlling the information (i.e. the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario); and
• To protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves held by TDSB and to provide individuals with a right of access to that information

Correction of Personal Information

If students or parents/guardians believe that personal information in the student’s records is inaccurate or not up to date, they have a right (under both MFIPPA and the Education Act) to request correction to their personal record(s).

Under the Education Act, the parent/guardian may make a request to the principal to correct the personal information contained in their child’s Ontario student record where they believe the information is inaccurate.

Under MFIPPA, the request must be made in writing to TDSB Freedom of Information and Privacy Office, referencing MFIPPA. There is no application fee for a request to make a correction to your own personal information.

What is a Freedom of Information (FOI) Request?

An FOI request is a request for access to information under MFIPPA that is in the custody or control of TDSB. Any person wishing to access information under the custody or control of TDSB may submit an FOI request to TDSB Freedom of Information and Privacy Office.

How to submit an FOI Request?

Please review all sections prior to submitting your FOI request. FOI requests can be submitted online or by mail. FOI requests are not accepted by fax or email.

All requests must be submitted with the non-refundable $5.00 application fee required under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. For a full listing of fees, see Fee Schedule for FOI Requests below.

Online:

An FOI request can be submitted by completing the FOI application form and must be accompanied with the confirmation of the payment of $5.00 mandatory non-refundable application fee, which can be paid online at Online Payment of Mandatory $5 FOI Fee. The online payment will provide you with a receipt after your payment has been processed, which you should then submit with your FOI request as proof of payment. Please note that any request submitted without the payment of the $5.00 application fee will not be processed until the mandatory fee is received by TDSB Freedom of Information and Privacy Office.

Owing to the volume of FOI requests TDSB receives, the submissions made via our online submission system is a TDSB’s preferred option.

By Mail

You can also download the FOI application form and mail it to our office together with a non-refundable $5.00 cheque/money order payable to Toronto District School Board.

Mailing address:

Freedom of Information and Privacy Office

Toronto District School Board

5050 Yonge Street, 5th Floor

Toronto, Ontario M2N 5N8

 

Fees Schedule for FOI Requests

R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 823 (General) under MFIPPA sets out the specific fees to be charged for processing FOI requests. The following fees may be charged in response to the FOI request and can be paid here.

Mandatory Application Fee

Types Of Fees	Cost	Description
Application Fee	$5.00	Must accompany your request. The fee is mandatory and cannot be waived.

 
Personal Information

General Information/Records

Fee Estimates

In processing an FOI request, TDSB may incur certain costs for time, materials, and services that TDSB employs while processing an FOI request. If it appears that the costs of processing the request will be over $25.00, the requester will be given a fee estimate by TDSB Freedom of Information and Privacy Office before TDSB grants access to the records. If the cost estimate is $100.00 or more, TDSB may require the requester to pay a deposit equal to 50 percent of the estimate before taking any further steps to respond to the FOI request. TDSB is not required to release records to a requester until the fee has been paid, or the issue of fees has been resolved after an appeal to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

Freedom of Information Request Completion Time

Upon receipt of your FOI request (and the payment of the mandatory fee, if applicable), TDSB has thirty (30) calendar days to respond to your request under MFIPPA. We will make every effort to make the records available to you sooner, if possible. However, if the scope of your request is broad, or the request involves review of a large number of records, or an extensive search, or a third-party consultation is required, a time extension may apply. Requesters will be notified if a time extension applies.

Appealing TDSB Decisions

A requester has the right to appeal any decision made by the TDSB regarding their FOI request to the Office of the IPC within 30 calendar days of receipt of the Board’s decision.

More information on the appeal process can be found on the IPC’s website.

Questions?

For more information about TDSB policies and procedures regarding the protection of personal information and privacy with TDSB, please contact TDSB Freedom of Information and Privacy Office by email at FOI.Privacy@tdsb.on.ca.