Privacy Policy

CascadeEd is committed to protecting your privacy. We collect and use only the personal information necessary to provide our budget planning services to BC school districts. Data is stored and processed in Canada in compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

Last updated: February 28, 2026

Who We Are

CascadeEd is a K-12 budget planning platform operated by CascadeEd Technologies Inc., a British Columbia corporation. We provide budget planning, salary calculations, and public consultation tools to school districts across British Columbia.

Our Role as Service Provider

When providing services to school districts, CascadeEd acts as a service provider (data processor) under the direction of the school district (data controller). District data remains the property of the school district at all times. CascadeEd processes personal information solely as directed by the district and in accordance with applicable service agreements. The terms governing data processing on behalf of school districts are set out in our Data Processing Addendum, which is available to district clients.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account with your school district, we collect:

• Email address (for account access and communications)
• First and last name (for identification within your organization)
• School district or organization membership
• User role and school assignments (for access control)

Public Budget Simulation Data

When you participate in a public budget simulation, we may collect:

• Your budget allocation choices (anonymized for aggregate reporting)
• Comments and feedback you provide
• Optional demographic information (postal code, role in community, number of children) to help districts understand community perspectives

Please do not submit personal identifiers (such as your name, phone number, or address) in open-text feedback fields. CascadeEd uses reasonable efforts to identify and remove personal information inadvertently submitted through public simulation comment fields.

Information Collected Automatically

We automatically collect certain information when you use our service:

• Usage data (pages visited, features used, time spent)
• Device information (browser type, operating system)
• Log data (IP address, access times, referring URLs) for security and troubleshooting

How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

• Provide and maintain the CascadeEd platform
• Send administrative communications about your account
• Analyze usage patterns to improve the service
• Prevent fraud, detect security issues, and maintain audit trails
• Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests

We collect only the personal information necessary for the identified purposes and do not use it for unrelated purposes without consent or legal authority.

Legal Basis for Processing

We collect, use, and disclose personal information in accordance with FOIPPA and PIPA, as applicable:

• Your consent where required (e.g., optional demographic information in public simulations)
• Necessary for contract performance (e.g., providing the service your school district has contracted for)
• As authorized by law (e.g., for security purposes, to comply with legal obligations, or as otherwise permitted under FOIPPA and PIPA)

Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following circumstances:

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

Service Providers

• Cloud hosting providers – Database and application hosting in Canada

We maintain a list of sub-processors that handle personal information, available to school district clients upon request. We will provide at least 30 days' advance notice before adding or materially changing sub-processors, giving school districts the opportunity to review and raise concerns.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or to protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property.

Data Storage and Transfers

Your data is stored on secure servers located in Canada. We take appropriate measures to ensure your information is protected regardless of where it is accessed.

Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, including:

• Active accounts: Information is retained while your account is active
• Audit logs: Retained for 7 years for compliance and security purposes
• Legal requirements: Retained as required by law or to resolve disputes
• Upon contract termination: District data is retained for 90 days to allow secure export, after which it is permanently deleted from active systems and removed from backups within 12 months
• Public simulation data: Retained for the duration of the consultation period plus 3 years for district reporting purposes, then securely deleted

When personal information is no longer required for any identified purpose, it is securely destroyed using industry-standard methods.

Your Privacy Rights

Under FOIPPA and PIPA, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal information
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Complain: File a complaint with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@cascadeed.ca. We will respond to your request within 30 business days, consistent with the timelines established under PIPA.

Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption in transit (HTTPS) and at rest
• Role-based access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel
• Monitoring and logging of security-relevant events
• Periodic security assessments, with third-party penetration testing planned

Breach Notification

In the event of a privacy breach involving personal information, CascadeEd will:

• Promptly assess the scope and impact of the breach
• Notify affected school districts without unreasonable delay and no later than 72 hours after becoming aware of the breach
• Notify affected individuals when there is a real risk of significant harm, as required by PIPA
• Report to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner where required by law
• Cooperate fully with school districts in meeting their statutory reporting obligations under FOIPPA

Children's Privacy

CascadeEd is a professional tool designed for school district staff and adult community members. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 19 (the age of majority in British Columbia). Public simulations are intended for adult participants. If we become aware that personal information has been inadvertently collected from a person under 19, we will take prompt steps to delete that information. If you believe a minor has provided personal information through our platform, please contact us at privacy@cascadeed.ca. Participation by students in public simulations is governed by the applicable school district's policies.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Significant changes will be communicated via email to registered users and by updating the 'Last updated' date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy regularly.

Contact Us

For privacy inquiries or to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us: