The Waterloo Region District School Board has turned down the group's most recent application to distribute the Bibles and has voted to change its policy on the matter.
On Monday night, the board voted to rescind its policy on the distribution on non-instructional religious materials.
However the vote was not unanimous, with seven voting for, four against and one abstaining.
The policy had been in place since 2007 to help regulate the distribution of the material, and required groups to apply for the right to hand out the material.
The decision comes despite the fact that the Gideons have been offering free Bibles to Grade Five students since 1946.
But the changing population in the region has made the debate surrounding the Bibles increasingly controversial.
A report submitted to the school board found the policy on distribution could become problematic for its policies on equity and inclusion.
Kathleen Woodcock, chair or the Waterloo Region District School Board, says a request to distribute the Qur'an sparked the discussion.
"Even though it was…certainly something we would welcome at the time with the policy, I think that raised the issue in the consciousness of a lot of people."
Before that request, only Gideon Bibles had been distributed at local schools.
Dr. Gordon Balfour, the chief business officer for the The Gideons International in Canada, said in a statement released to CTV News, "While we certainly appreciate the difficulty the trustees have in administering our diverse region with its representation of many religions, we believe prohibiting religious groups from distributing free materials -- with the written consent of their parents -- is not a wise decision."
The decision must still be ratified by the board, where it is expected to be presented on June 22.
Woodcock says "Once that happens, and the policy is rescinded and the practice is ended, there will be no more distribution of non-instructional religious materials."
