York Region District School Board


The York Region District School Board is the English-language public school board for York Regional Municipality in Ontario, Canada. The York Region District School Board is the province's third-largest school board, with an enrollment of over 122,000 students. It is in the fastest-growing census division in Ontario and the third-fastest growing in Canada.
The public francophone, English Catholic, and French Catholic communities of York Region also have their own publicly funded school boards and schools that operate in the same area.

History

The school board has been referred to as "English-language Public District School Board No. 16" in Ontario legislation prior to 1999. It was officially known as the York Region Board of Education until it changed its name in 1998 to York Region District School Board. Prior to 1971 it was called York County School Board.

Governance

The YRDSB is governed by an elected board of trustees, whose election coincides with the municipal elections in Ontario held throughout the province every four years. The Board consists of 12 trustees, divided amongst the constituent municipalities based on population. Two student trustees are elected by the York Region Presidents' Council every school year, which is made up of the 33 Student Council Presidents of all the secondary schools in York Region. The student trustees facilitate communication between students and the school board. The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board are chosen by secret ballot of the trustees at the inaugural meeting in December.
For day-to-day operations the most senior staff member of the board is the Director of Education, to whom the Associate Director and all of the Superintendents report. The Director of Education is Louise Sirisko.

Programs

Besides the curriculum established by the Government of Ontario, the York Region District School Board places heavy emphasis on its Character Matters program. As well, due to the multicultural nature, and large immigrant population of students under the YRDSB, the Board established the Race Relations Advisory Committee, a standing committee of the board to advise the trustees on issues related to ethnocultural relations. The committee is made up of trustees, staff, community members and students.

Divisions

The school board is divided into four Community Education Centres. The centres represent communities as follows:
The school board teaches approximately 70,000 elementary and 40,000 secondary school students.

Lists of schools

Secondary schools

The school board currently manages 33 facilities that provide secondary education.
NameLocationFoundedEnrolmentNotes
ACCESS Program Jefferson Community Learning CentreRichmond Hill22Alternative school
Alexander Mackenzie High SchoolRichmond Hill19691,358Arts specialized school, International Baccalaureate school
Aurora High SchoolAurora19721,338French Immersion school
Bayview Secondary SchoolRichmond Hill19601,678International Baccalaureate school
Bill Crothers Secondary SchoolMarkham20081,492Athletics focused
Bill Hogarth Secondary SchoolMarkham2017-
Bur Oak Secondary SchoolMarkham20071,545
Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary SchoolAurora18881,100Relocation to Bayview Ave. Scheduled for Sept. 2023
Dr. John M. Denison Secondary SchoolNewmarket1989882
Emily Carr Secondary SchoolVaughan20031,526
Huron Heights Secondary SchoolNewmarket19621,195Arts specialized school
Keswick High SchoolGeorgina2000900
King City Secondary SchoolKing Township1961929French immersion school
Langstaff Secondary SchoolRichmond Hill1964705French Immersion school
Maple High SchoolMaple20021,425International Baccalaureate school
Markham District High SchoolMarkham19531,504Offers gifted education, Advanced Placement Program
Semestered as of September 2016
Markville Secondary SchoolMarkham19901,362Offers gifted education, Advanced Placement Program, SHSM
Middlefield Collegiate InstituteMarkham19921,424
Milliken Mills High SchoolMarkham19881,441International Baccalaureate school
Newmarket High SchoolNewmarket18431,359Offers gifted education & French immersion
Pierre Elliott Trudeau High SchoolMarkham20021,761French immersion school
Richmond Green Secondary SchoolRichmond Hill20051,195
Richmond Hill High SchoolRichmond Hill18511,675Offers gifted education, Advanced Placement Program, SHSM
Sir William Mulock Secondary SchoolNewmarket20011,310Offers blended learning and SHSM
Stephen Lewis Secondary SchoolVaughan20061,637
Stouffville District Secondary SchoolWhitchurch-Stouffville19541,191
Sutton District High SchoolGeorgina1956436
Thornhill Secondary SchoolThornhill19551,000Offers gifted education
Thornlea Secondary SchoolThornhill19681,045Offers French Immersion Program and Pre-AP and Advanced Placement Programs.
Tommy Douglas Secondary SchoolVaughan20151,505Only grade 9 and 10 in its first year
Unionville High SchoolMarkham19851,476Offers an Arts specialized program and SHSM in arts & culture or business.
Vaughan Secondary SchoolVaughan19891,070French Immersion school
Westmount Collegiate InstituteVaughan19951,342Arts specialized school
Woodbridge CollegeVaughan1958518

Elementary and intermediate schools

The school board currently manages 175 facilities which provides elementary education.
Aurora
East Gwillimbury
Georgina
King
Markham
Newmarket
Richmond Hill
Vaughan
Whitchurch-Stouffville
YRDSB provides assistance to Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation and serves the schooling needs for students in grades 7 to 11.

Controversies

In May 2017, the YRDSB was faced with a lawsuit. The board settled a human rights complaint with parent Charline Grant who had been called the "N-word" by Nancy Elgie, a former board trustee. A Ministry of Education review found a "culture of fear" and "systemic discrimination" at the school board.