Policy

Policy 5700 - Privacy Policy

1. PURPOSE

1.1.	The Board of Education of School District No. 36 (Surrey) (“the district”) is committed to ensuring the privacy, confidentiality, and security of all personal information that it collects, uses, discloses, and maintains in connection with district programs and activities.
1.2.	The district complies with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (“FIPPA”) of BC and the School Act in relation to the protection of privacy.
1.3.	This policy sets out the district’s commitment, standards, and expectations regarding the appropriate practices for the collection, use and protection of personal information.
1.4.	Personal Information is recorded information about an identifiable individual but does not include an individual’s business contact information (business address, email address, telephone number).

2. PRINCIPLES

2.1.

The district and all employees, contractors and volunteers (“staff”) shall uphold the privacy, confidentiality, and appropriate use of personal information in compliance with FIPPA, the School Act, district policy and associated procedures including by:

a)	Being open and transparent about the purposes that personal information may be collected and used by the district.
b)	Collecting and using personal information only as necessary to carry out district authorized programs and activities.
c)	Sharing personal information internally with staff only on a need-to- know basis.
d)	Sharing personal information with third parties with the knowledge and consent of the affected individuals, unless otherwise authorized or required under FIPPA, the School Act or other applicable laws.
e)	Ensuring personal information is protected against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, loss, or destruction.
f)	Complying with FIPPA for the accuracy, protection, use, disclosure, storage, retrieval, correction, and appropriate use of personal information.

3. TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

3.1.	The district strives to be open and transparent with the community about its programs and activities and has processes in place to support the timely response to access requests submitted under FIPPA and the proactive release of information of interest by the community.

4. AUTHORITY

4.1.	The superintendent has been designated by the board as the “Head” of the district for the purposes of FIPPA and has overarching responsibility for ensuring compliance with policy & procedure, FIPPA and the requirements of the School Act pertaining to student records.

5. COMPLAINTS

5.1.	The district will respond to, and where appropriate, investigate all complaints that it receives under this policy concerning its personal information management practices.

6. REFERENCES AND RELATED DOCUMENTS

6.1.	Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. Part 3
6.2.	School Act R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 412 sections 9, 79(3)
6.3.	Student Records Disclosure Order (M14/91)
6.4.	Procedure 5700.1
6.5.	Procedure 5700.2
6.6.	Procedure 5700.3

7. AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY

7.1.	Superintendent of Schools
7.2.	Privacy Officer

8. HISTORY

Revised:	2023-09-13
Approved:	1995-06-22