Privacy

Limestone Learning Foundation

The Limestone District School Board collects, uses, and shares personal information from and about individuals in the course of providing educational services, administering programs and communicating with families. The board is diligent in managing personal information. We are guided by the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), and the Education Act.

The Education Act sets out duties and powers of the district school board and authorizes the district to collect personal information to plan and deliver educational programs and services. We are required by law to report some information to the Minister of Education.

MFIPPA is a law that sets guidelines that we must follow when collecting, using and/or disclosing personal information. Under this Act, personal information refers to recorded information about an identifiable individual. Under the MFIPPA, personal information may be used or disclosed by the LDSB:

  • for the purpose for which it was obtained or a consistent purpose (a purpose consistent with the reason collected); 
  • to board officers or employees who need access to the information in the performance of their duties, if necessary and proper, in the discharge of the board's authorized functions;
  • to comply with legislation, a court order or subpoena or to aid in a law enforcement investigation conducted by a law enforcement agency;
  • to report to Family & Children's Services regarding child protection matters, in accordance with the law, in compelling circumstances affecting health or safety of staff or students.

Under the law, the release of personal information for any other purpose requires the informed consent of:

  • the parent/guardian for children under 16 years of age;
  • the parent/guardian and the student where the student is 16 and 17;
  • the student where the student is over 18 or is 16 or 17 years of age and has withdrawn from parental control.

What personal information is collected?

Information collected at time of student registration: At the time of student registration, the school district may collect, name, address, date of birth, names and contact information of parents/guardians and emergency contacts, relevant medical information, information of growth milestones and/or educational history, etc. This information is stored in the Ontario Student Record. School principals are required to maintain an Ontario Student Record (OSR) for each student attending the school. The OSR is a record of a student's educational progress through school in Ontario, and follows the student when they transfer schools.

Additional information may be collected for the following reasons:

Voluntary Self-Identification

Ancestry information of First Nation, Métis and Inuit students who chose to voluntarily self-identify will be used to allocate resources, improve student learning and student success, and to offer individualized supports and opportunities to students and families. 

Student medical health information

Medical health information provided by parents/guardians or adult students will be used to address the student's medical needs at school and during school activities. Medical emergency plans for students with life-threatening medical conditions will be shared with school staff, and will be posted in identified areas of the school for emergency response purposes with parent/guardian consent.

Tri-Board Student Transportation

Student personal information such as home addresses, student photos, life-threatening medical emergency information, accessibility and safety needs will be shared with the Tri-Board Student Transportation consortium, contracted bus company operators and bus drivers, for the purpose of administering the district's contracted bus program and for the safety of students.

Student Access to Technology

The district provides students and teachers with Google Docs for Education (GAFE), Microsoft 0365, and the D2L Brightspace Virtual Learning Environment (Minds Online), provided by the Ministry of Education for educational purposes. In addition, students may also use social media and other digital tools deemed appropriate by the classroom teacher. Students receive age-appropriate instruction on digital citizenship and the safe use of technology. Use of the Internet and social media sites shall be in accordance with the Appropriate Use of Technology Agreement and posting of personal information shall be with parental consent in accordance with LDSB's Freedom of Information form.

Third-Party Service Providers

The school district contracts with third-party service providers to facilitate the delivery of certain services related to student learning, school operations and communication with families. This includes service contracts for software used for consistent purposes such as the development of Individual Education Plans, online learning, course and career planning, messaging to parents, electronic purchasing, etc. All service contracts with third parties are subject to confidentiality agreements and other parameters that include provisions not to share (except with those required to deliver services) or sell personal information, and that industry standard measures are used to protect personal information against unauthorized use and access.

Student and class photos

Contracted photographers will take individual and class photos of students. These photos will be used for administrative and archival purposes, on student cards, in school yearbooks and will be offered to parents for purchase.  All photographers are required to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Surveillance equipment

Surveillance equipment may be used in schools and on buses to enhance the safety of students and staff, to protect property against theft or vandalism, and to aid in the identification of intruders or persons who endanger the health, well-being or safety of school community members.

Freedom of Information & Consent Form

Parents/guardians are asked annually to review and/or complete this form regarding consent for a variety of school-based activities including participation in field trips, extra-curricular, sharing of student work, and the audio or video recording or photography of students as part of their educational program for assessment and evaluation purposes, and for school and Board use (reported in school and district newsletters and on school and district websites and other social media), and for sharing with media outlets. Student names and/or photographs may be printed in school yearbooks, school programs or brochures (commencement or graduation programs, school plays and musical productions), on student awards, honour rolls, on class assignment lists and posted throughout the school.

Student photos in public spaces

School staff are diligent in identifying students that may not be recorded or photographed at school. However, students participating in extra-curricular activities or school events where the public is invited or that take place in public places such as field trips, malls and fairs, may be photographed by the school community or general public despite our best efforts. This may result in photos or recordings being posted on social media sites. The school has no control over how and where these images will be posted; however parents and students are asked to practise good digital citizenship by being respectful when they post photos of others, which includes only posting photos involving other students with permission. 

KFL&A Public Health

Personal information such as child's name, birth date, grade, name of parents/guardians, home address and phone numbers will be shared with the local health unit in accordance with the Immunization of School Pupils Act. Communicable diseases shall be reported in accordance with the Health Promotion and Protection Act and the Education Act.

Special Education Services

In keeping with the legislative requirements of the Education Act and Personal Health Information Protection Act, informed consent will be sought prior to involvement of psychological or speech and language staff. A statement outlining how personal health information is collected, used or disclosed in the provision of district psychological, speech and language or social work services will be provided to parents/guardians or students, as appropriate, when students are referred to school district service providers.


You retain the right to request correction or removal of any personal information held by the district if you believe it to be inaccurate.

If you have any questions, please contact the Board’s Information Access and Privacy Coordinator.

If you believe you or your child's personal privacy rights have been breached, you may lodge a complaint with the office of the Information and Privacy Commission of Ontario.


The Limestone District School Board is situated on traditional territories of the Anishinaabe & Haudenosaunee.