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Electrifying error

A woman was frustrated and confused by a dramatic increase in her electricity bills after her meter was changed in August 2013 – from $244 that July, to $403 in August, and up to $1,700 in January 2014. She said Hydro One was unable to provide her with an explanation for the increases, other than …
A woman was frustrated and confused by a dramatic increase in her electricity bills after her meter was changed in August 2013 – from $244 that July, to $403 in August, and up to $1,700 in January 2014.
/en/our-work/case-stories/electrifying-error

In need of a space

A primary school student with special needs was put on a waiting list for placement in a support program for children with autism. The boy's mother was told that a spot was unlikely to become available soon. Concerned that her child's needs were not being met, she escalated her concerns with the …
A primary school student with special needs was put on a waiting list for placement in a support program for children with autism. The boy's mother was told that a spot was unlikely to become available soon. Concerned that her child's needs were not being met, she escalated her concerns with the school board and then called our Office.
/en/our-work/case-stories/need-space

Improving busing services

The mother of a kindergartner with special needs contacted the Office with concerns about busing services. She said her son’s bus was consistently late and that on one occasion, the bus driver attempted to drop him off at the wrong address. Although she had complained to the bus driver and her …
The mother of a kindergartner with special needs contacted the Office with concerns about busing services.
/en/our-work/case-stories/improving-busing-services

The safer way

The mother of a Grade 4 student was concerned for her son’s safety because he had to cross a busy intersection on his walk to school. He was denied busing services, even though younger children in the area were being bused to school. After our Office referred her to the school board’s …
The mother of a Grade 4 student was concerned for her son’s safety because he had to cross a busy intersection on his walk to school.
/en/our-work/case-stories/safer-way

Teachable moment

After a teacher-in-charge kept a student out of class for more than two hours over an incident, the student’s mother complained to us about the board’s response to her concerns. As a result of our inquiries, the board sent the mother a letter of apology and began developing guidelines to help …
After a teacher-in-charge kept a student out of class for more than two hours over an incident, the student’s mother complained to us about the board’s response to her concerns.
/en/our-work/case-stories/teachable-moment

Taking the long way home

A mother felt that her daughter's school board didn't follow its own rules after she tried to appeal a change to her daughter's school bus route, which effectively doubled the amount of time her daughter spent on the bus. After reviewing the information, Ombudsman staff found there were concerns …
A mother felt that her daughter's school board didn't follow its own rules after she tried to appeal a change to her daughter's school bus route, which effectively doubled the amount of time her daughter spent on the bus.
/en/our-work/case-stories/taking-long-way-home

Rural bus route dilemma

A woman contacted our Office when she discovered the school board would only bus her granddaughter to a school that was more than twice as far away as the next closest option. Due to low population density and a large coverage area, there was only one bus with a route near their home. Our Office …
A woman contacted our Office when she discovered the school board would only bus her granddaughter to a school that was more than twice as far away as the next closest option.
/en/our-work/case-stories/rural-bus-route-dilemma

Outside the zone

A father contacted us when the principal at his daughter’s school told him she could no longer attend the school, since the family lived outside the catchment area. After our Office contacted the principal and superintendent, the daughter was allowed to stay at the school for another year, and the …
A father contacted us when the principal at his daughter’s school told him she could no longer attend the school, since the family lived outside the catchment area.
/en/our-work/case-stories/outside-zone

No place like home

A mother of a teenage boy with autism sought our Office’s help after her son was restricted to 45 minutes of school per day due to behavioural issues. She wanted to home-school her son, but the board insisted he come to class for 45 minutes every day. After our staff facilitated communications …
A mother of a teenage boy with autism sought our Office’s help after her son was restricted to 45 minutes of school per day due to behavioural issues.
/en/our-work/case-stories/no-place-home-0

Home school solution

A teenage boy with autism who was only permitted to attend class for 45 minutes a day due to aggression issues was refusing to return to school because of an incident when police were called. His mother suggested the school board assist with providing home schooling, but the board insisted the boy …
A teenage boy with autism who was only permitted to attend class for 45 minutes a day due to aggression issues was refusing to return to school because of an incident when police were called.
/en/our-work/case-stories/home-school-solution

Entry Prohibited

A woman complained to us after she and her husband received a ‘Notice of Prohibition of Entry’ from a board in October 2012, with no end date or written rationale provided. Our Office confirmed that the Director of Education had the authority to issue the notice, but that the school board should …
A woman complained to us after she and her husband received a ‘Notice of Prohibition of Entry’ from a board in October 2012, with no end date or written rationale provided.
/en/our-work/case-stories/entry-prohibited

Clarifying the process

A parent complained to our office after the school board looked into her conflict-of-interest complaint about two trustees who participated in decisions to close a local high school. The board's director of education had found there was no conflict. In our review of how the board handled the …
A parent complained to our office after the school board looked into her conflict-of-interest complaint about two trustees who participated in decisions to close a local high school.
/en/our-work/case-stories/clarifying-process

Cars curbed

A woman complained to us after trying for months to get a school board to respond to her safety concerns about vehicles regularly driving up onto a curb on school property near an entrance for young children. After our staff contacted board officials, they agreed there was an issue, installed “no …
A woman complained to us after trying for months to get a school board to respond to her safety concerns about vehicles regularly driving up onto a curb on school property near an entrance for young children.
/en/our-work/case-stories/cars-curbed

Calculated distance

We received a complaint that several students in the same neighbourhood were deemed ineligible for busing despite believing they lived within the school's distance requirements policy, and that the board would not provide the walk distance calculation to the complainant or other parents. We made …
We received a complaint that several students in the same neighbourhood were deemed ineligible for busing despite believing they lived within the school's distance requirements policy, and that the board would not provide the walk distance calculation to the complainant or other parents.
/en/our-work/case-stories/calculated-distance

Bus stop safety concerns

A parent complained to our office after a school board decided to move their child's bus stop 300 metres to a busier intersection. Our Office reviewed the board's transportation policy and made inquiries about the steps that the board took to assess the safety of the new bus stop. The complaint was …
A parent complained to our office after a school board decided to move their child's bus stop 300 metres to a busier intersection.
/en/our-work/case-stories/bus-stop-safety-concerns

Better, not late

The mother of a kindergarten student with special needs complained that her son’s bus was repeatedly late and that he had once been dropped off at the wrong address. One month into the school year, he had not yet attended a full day. At our suggestion, she complained to the board’s student …
The mother of a kindergarten student with special needs complained that her son’s bus was repeatedly late and that he had once been dropped off at the wrong address.
/en/our-work/case-stories/better-not-late

A matter of exposure

A student complained that one of his female classmates was refused entry into class for having her shoulders exposed. He emailed the school board and, not receiving a response, reached out to our Office. Our staff facilitated communication between the school board and the youth, who was satisfied …
A student complained that one of his female classmates was refused entry into class for having her shoulders exposed.
/en/our-work/case-stories/matter-exposure

Wires crossed

We received complaints from four residents in one building who each received catch-up bills from their municipal hydro company for $2,000-5,000. The company told us it had discovered a wiring error in the building that caused bills to go to the wrong units. A metering company had investigated, and …
We received complaints from four residents in one building who each received catch-up bills from their municipal hydro company for $2,000-5,000.
/en/our-work/case-stories/wires-crossed

Powerful gesture

A man was upset that it took the Ontario Electricity Support Program six months to process his application, even though its website says it should take 6-8 weeks. Our inquiries determined that the delay was actually exacerbated by the man providing an outdated email address on his application; …
A man was upset that it took the Ontario Electricity Support Program six months to process his application, even though its website says it should take 6-8 weeks.
/en/our-work/case-stories/powerful-gesture

Monitors, not medics

The mother of a five-year-old girl with medical needs enrolled her in a special program after she was told a bus monitor would be assigned to administer the child’s medication if needed. But in fact, bus monitors are not trained to give any medication except epi-pens or asthma inhalers in certain …
The mother of a five-year-old girl with medical needs enrolled her in a special program after she was told a bus monitor would be assigned to administer the child’s medication if needed.
/en/our-work/case-stories/monitors-not-medics