Boards must work with local police services on school-related activities and, in specified cases, permit police participation and access; they must also enter a memorandum of understanding and inform/engage students, parents and community members for school resource officer programs.
Access to school premises and participation in school programs 1. (1) A circumstance in which any of the following activities, events or programs are taking place on school premises is prescribed for the purposes of clauses 170.0.2 (1) (a) and (b) of the Act: 1. A community and student safety program. 2. A program that provides training and drills in respect of lockdown procedures and other emergency preparedness. 3. A school resource officer program. 4. A road and driving safety program. 5. A learning and mentorship program. 6. A youth engagement program. 7. A student well-being program. 8. A program to build relationships between local police services and students. 9. A career day, extra-curricular event, festival, fundraiser or any other activity or event involving parents, guardians or other members of the community being provided with access to the school premises. (2) Despite subsection (1), a board is not required to permit the local police services to participate in an activity, event or program if it is not being delivered by the board, unless the participation is for the purposes of implementing a school resource officer program referred to in section 2. (3) If a board is delivering an activity, event or program mentioned in subsection (1) at a location off school premises, the board shall permit the local police services to participate and provide access to the location. (4) For greater certainty, clauses 170.0.2 (1) (a) and (b) of the Act apply whether or not a member of the local police services is in uniform. School resource officer programs 2. (1) The following circumstance is prescribed for the purposes of clause 170.0.2 (1) (c) of the Act: 1. The local police services offers a school resource officer program in the primary language of instruction of the board. (2) If the circumstance set out in subsection (1) exists, the board shall satisfy the following requirements: 1. Enter into a memorandum of understanding described in subsection (3) with the local police services to implement the school resource officer program. 2. Ensure that students, parents and guardians are made aware of the program. 3. Engage students, parents and community members to inform the implementation of the program. (3) The memorandum of understanding must set out the details of how the board will work collaboratively with the local police services to, (a) ensure that the local police services build and maintain positive relationships with students; (b) share general information about the school population and local community with school resource officers; (c) ensure that the students, parents and guardians are made aware of the school resource officer program and any related presentations or workshops in accordance with subsection (2); and (d) involve students, parents and guardians in the implementation of the school resource officer program. Manner of working with police 3. (1) For the purposes of subsection 170.0.2 (1) of the Act, every board shall work with its local police services in a manner that, (a) promotes student, school and public safety; (b) builds and maintains positive relationships between the local police services and the students and school communities; and (c) is consistent with the guideline entitled, “Provincial Model for a Local Police/School Board Protocol” established under subsection 301 (7) of the Act and available on a website of the Government of Ontario. (2) A board shall not make a local police service’s participation in a school activity, event or program conditional on the board’s approval of any material, but may request to review such material in advance of the school activity, event or program. (3) If a board has made good faith efforts to work with its local police services in respect of one or more of the board’s duties under subsection 170.0.2 (1) of the Act and the local police services has not reasonably participated, the board is deemed to have performed that duty for the purposes of subsection 170.0.2 (2) of the Act. 4. Omitted (provides for coming into force of provisions of this Regulation).