Enrolment Capped Secondary Schools

Ensuring schools are equipped to manage student enrolment growth has been a focus in York Region District School Board for many years. In some cases, school communities have experienced significant growth where measures have been put in place to mitigate the challenges of enrolment growth. For example, many of our secondary schools are already closed to transfers from students who reside outside the attendance area, and in some cases, school enrolment continues to grow beyond the capacity of the school.​

In 2023, the board introduced capping student enrolment at secondary schools as a new accommodation tool where needed. On an annual basis, a review of enrolment will occur to determine which secondary schools may be identified as an enrolment capped secondary school.

2025-26 Enrolment Capped Schools

For the 2025-26 school year, three secondary schools have been identified to be capped due to lack of sufficient space to accommodate further enrolment growth:

• Bayview Secondary School
• Markville Secondary School
• Unionville High School

No action is required for existing YRDSB Grade 8 students registered as of October 31, 2024, that reside within the regular track boundary for an Enrolment Capped Secondary.  Going forward, if space remains available at the Enrolment Capped Secondary School, newly registered YRDSB Grade 8 students will be monitored in order of registration on a monthly basis to determine if they are able to attend.

In addition, existing YRDSB Grade 8 students that reside within an Enrolment Capped Secondary School attendance area need to complete a proof of residency review as per Policy #163, Section 2.2 of the procedure. Entrance into an Enrolment Capped Secondary School is not confirmed until this step has been completed.

Once an Enrolment Capped Secondary School has reached capacity, new YRDSB Grade 8 students will need to be assigned to a designated Alternate Secondary School for the 2025-2026 school year.  If space becomes available in an Enrolment Capped Secondary School for the 2025-2026 school year, these students would be the first priority to be called back.

Non-YRDSB students wishing to attend an enrolment capped secondary school may submit an expression of interest to join the waitlist if they choose not to attend a YRDSB designated alternate secondary school. Effective Monday, November 25, 2024, a non-YRDSB ‘expression of interest’ waitlist will open for students wishing to attend an enrolment capped secondary school for the 2025-26 school year for Grade 9.