All requests for access to information are made to the Privacy & Access Office at the Calgary Board of Education. The time limit for responding to a FOIP request commences once the request is received in the Privacy & Access Office.
Mail, fax or hand-deliver the completed request form or letter together with the initial fee, if applicable, with the cheque made payable to the “Calgary Board of Education” to:
Calgary Board of Education
Legal Services, Attention FOIP Coordinator
1221 – 8 Street SW
Calgary, AB T2R 0L4
Fax: 403-777-8028
You will need to provide proof of identity when making a request for personal information or when making a request for correction to personal information.
How To Obtain Information Without Making a FOIP Request
Information is often routinely available through schools or departments or by accessing the CBE web site. Before making a FOIP request, it may be helpful to contact the appropriate school or department for advice on the most appropriate method of obtaining access to the information you need. If other methods do not satisfy your needs, you have the option of making a formal request for access to information under the FOIP Act.
Making a FOIP Request for Access to Information
A FOIP request must be made in writing. You may either complete a request form or write a letter to the Privacy & Access Office at the CBE indicating that you are making the request under the FOIP Act. You can print the “Request for Access to Information” form.
Follow the instructions provided on how to complete the form. Whether you are writing a letter or completing a request form, you will need to:
- Provide your name, mailing address and a telephone number where you can be contacted during the day if there are any questions about the request.
- Specify whether you are seeking “general” or “personal” information.
- A request for “personal information” is a request for your own personal information or for the personal information of an individual you are entitled to represent. “Personal information” is defined in the FOIP Act as “recorded information about an identifiable individual”.
- A request for “general information” is a request for any other kind of information, including the personal information about a third party.
- Be as specific as possible when describing the records you want to access.
- Enter the time period for which you are requesting records and the location where you believe the records reside, if known.
- If you are requesting your own personal information, be sure to provide your full name and any other names that you may have previously used on the records.
- If you are requesting student information, please provide a student ID number if possible. Note: Parents requesting student information about their child must obtain the child’s consent if the child is the age of 16 or older and an “independent student” or if the child is 18 or older.
- If you are requesting employee information, please provide an employee ID number. In some cases, you may be asked to provide government-issued photo identification with a signature thereon when requesting personal information in order to verify your identity and to protect your privacy.
- There is no initial fee when requesting personal information but you may be required to pay photocopying costs. If the cost of producing copies exceeds $10.00, then the entire cost for providing copies is charged at a rate of $0.25 per page. If applicable, a fee estimate will be sent to you notifying you of additional charges and whether a deposit for 50% of the cost is required.
- If the request is for “general information”, a $25.00 initial fee is applicable. If you are paying by cheque, make it payable to the “Calgary Board of Education” and include it with your request. This fee must be paid before the request process starts. A fee estimate will be sent to you notifying you of any additional charges if processing costs exceed $150.00. You will be asked to pay a deposit for 50% of the estimated cost. Once the request has been completed, the remaining charges must be paid before any records are provided.
- Sign and date the request form or letter.
- Send the completed form or letter and initial fee, if applicable, to the Privacy & Access Office.
How to Correct Personal Information Without Making a FOIP Request
Routine changes or corrections to personal information such as a new address or a new telephone number, for example, do not require a formal request under the FOIP Act. Simply contact the appropriate school or department that has the information and inform them of the change or correction.
For students, routine changes to personal information can be made by contacting the administration at the student’s school.
For employees, routine changes to personal information can be made by printing, completing and submitting the
Employee Profile Change Form(staff only).
If you believe the information that the CBE has about you is incorrect, you can contact the appropriate school or department and request the information be corrected. If the response doesn’t satisfy your needs, you can make a request under the FOIP Act to have your personal information corrected. If the CBE does not agree to change the information, an annotation will be placed on the file where the personal information resides, indicating that you have requested the change.
Making a FOIP Request for Correction to Personal Information
A request under the FOIP Act to correct personal information must be made in writing. You may either complete a Request for Correction of Personal Information form or write a letter to the CBE indicating that you are making the request under the FOIP Act. You can print the Request for Correction of Personal Information.
Please be aware that opinions, including professional or expert opinions, cannot be corrected.
Follow the instructions provided on how to complete the form. Whether you are writing a letter or completing a correction request form, you will need to:
- Provide your name, mailing address and a telephone number where you can be contacted during the day if there are any questions about the request.
- Identify the information that you believe is incorrect and provide the correction you believe should be made. Be as specific as possible.
- Identify the time period and location where records reside, if known.
- Be sure to provide your full name and any other names that you may have previously used on the records.
- If you are requesting a correction to student information, please provide a student ID number if possible. Note: Parents requesting a correction to student information about their child must obtain the child’s consent if the child is the age of 16 or older and an “independent student” or if the child is 18 or older.
- In some cases, you may be asked to provide government-issued photo identification with a signature thereon when requesting a correction to personal information in order to verify your identity and to protect your privacy.
- Sign and date the request form or letter.
- Send the completed form or letter to the Privacy & Access Office.
When to Expect a Response
The FOIP Act requires that the CBE to respond within 30 calendar days of receiving your request. The response will either provide the requested information or explain why the information is not being disclosed. In the case of a request for correction of personal information, the response will either state that the correction has been made or advise that the record has not been corrected, but it has been annotated. The 30-day deadline may be extended if, for example large volumes of records are involved, enough detail to identify the record(s) hasn’t been provided, or third parties need to be consulted.
