BYLAW 9222
OFFICIAL TRUSTEE ACCESS TO INFORMATION
The Official Trustee shall have access to information in order to facilitate trustees’ carrying out their duties under the School Act. However, in respect of the right of employees, students, and parents to a measure of privacy, any information which is deemed to be personal and confidential shall be accessed through the Superintendent of Schools, in writing, explaining the rationale for the request. All information deemed to be confidential and provided to any trustee shall be marked “Strictly Confidential”.
Definitions and Limitations
- For the purposes of this bylaw, personal and confidential information is that information inclusive of but not limited to the information contained in personnel files, in students’ files, and on student permanent record cards, as well as information related to awarding contracts.
- Teacher and principal evaluation reports referred to in the School Act shall be available to view and to make notes, but may not be photocopied or removed.
- In the event that this bylaw conflicts with Board policies, regulations, or with the law, the provisions in the law will apply.
Process for Requesting Personal and/or Confidential Information
1. If the Official Trustee is requesting personal or confidential information, they should make their request and rationale directly to the Superintendent of Schools.
2. The request and rationale will be considered and a decision made by the Superintendent of Schools.
a) If the information is provided, the document(s) will be marked as “Strictly Confidential”.
b) If the information is not provided, the Superintendent of Schools will give the Official Trustee reasons for not providing it.
3. The Official Trustee may refer their request for personal and/or confidential information, accompanied with rationale, to the next Board meeting and provide direction to the
Superintendent of Schools by Board motion.
Process for Requesting Other Information
1. If the Official Trustee is requesting any information, other than personal or confidential information, they should make their request directly to the:
a) Superintendent of Schools when dealing with educational matters
b) Secretary-Treasurer when dealing with financial matters.
2. Should, in the opinion of either the Superintendent of Schools or the Secretary-Treasurer, the request for information require more than two (2) hours of preparatory work, the request will
not be actioned and, instead, be referred to the next Board meeting for direction to the Superintendent of Schools by Board motion.
3. The Official Trustee shall make no direct requests to schools (school principals, teachers, or others) for written information. Verbal information may be sought from a principal, but if that
verbal information would take longer than thirty (30) minutes to impart, then the principal has the right to advise the Official Trustee that the Superintendent of Schools will need to be
directed by Board motion, prior to the principal providing the information to the Official Trustee.
4. It should be noted that information provided to the Official Trustee may not be in a form acceptable for public scrutiny.
5. Assistance in interpreting the information provided to the Official Trustee shall be provided by administration.
6. In certain instances, the Official Trustee may wish to inform an individual that their confidential file may be accessed along with the rationale for so doing.
Greater Victoria School District
Adopted: October 26, 1987
Revised: February 22, 1998
Revised: February 24, 1997
Revised: April 26, 1999
Adopted: February 25, 2002
Reviewed: March 2012
Revised: December 14, 2022
Revised: March 31, 2025