Bylaw 9222 Trustee Access to Information

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BYLAW 9222

TRUSTEE ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Trustees 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, in writing, explaining the rationale of the trustee for the request.  If the rationale is thought to be less than satisfactory, the matter shall be referred to the Board for a decision.  All information deemed to be confidential and provided to any trustee shall be marked “Strictly Confidential” and shared only with other trustees.

Definitions and Limitations

  1. 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.
  2. Teacher and principal evaluation reports referred to in the School Act shall be available for trustees to view and to make notes, but may not be photocopied or removed.
  3. 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. Trustees requesting personal or confidential information 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.
    • If the information is provided, the document(s) will be stamped “Strictly Confidential”, which means that the document(s) may be discussed only with the trustees.
    • All other trustees will be advised of the information which has been provided to the trustee.
    • If the information is not provided, the Superintendent will give the trustee reasons for not providing it.
  3. The trustee may then make a request, accompanied with a rationale, to the Board for a decision.

Process for Requesting Other Information:

  1. Trustees requesting any information, other than personal or confidential, should make their request directly to the:
    • Superintendent of Schools when dealing with educational matters;
    • 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 Board for a decision.
  3. Trustees shall make no direct request 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 trustee that the Superintendent of Schools will have to seek Board approval, prior to the principal providing the information to the trustee.
  4. It should be noted that information provided to trustees may not be in a form acceptable for public scrutiny.
  5. Assistance in interpreting the information provided to trustees shall be provided by administration.
  6. In certain instances, the Board may wish to inform the 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

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