Construction and Property Updates

New School Construction Delay

Josiah Henson Public School, Pickering – Opening Update

We remain excited about the upcoming opening of Josiah Henson Public School, a much-anticipated addition that will serve the growing student population in the Pickering Seaton community.

While the school was originally scheduled to open in September 2025, construction delays have pushed the opening to later in the fall. DDSB staff are working closely with contractors to complete the project as quickly and safely as possible.

In the interim, students who reside within the Josiah Henson PS boundary and Josiah Henson PS staff will begin the school year at one of two schools: 

  • Junior Kindergarten to Grade 4 students will attend Rosemary Brown PS
  • Grades 5 to 8 students will attend Michaëlle Jean PS 

Once the new school building at 1100 Azalea Avenue, Pickering is complete and ready for occupancy, students and staff will transition together to their new home. We are currently targeting building completion in October 2025, with students and staff moving in shortly after. We will continue to share updates here, as well as on the school Instagram account @josiahhensonps_ddsbWe appreciate the community’s patience and support as we complete this important project, which will serve families for generations to come.

 

Frequently Asked Questions - Opening of Josiah Henson Public School

Why is the school opening delayed?  

While the build of Josiah Henson PS continues to move forward, the extended winter and spring weather has resulted in delays to the school’s construction. The DDSB Facilities team continues to work actively with the contractor to minimize the delay; however, the updated timeline targets a building occupancy date of October. 

We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Josiah Henson PS in the coming months.  

Why can’t students stay where they are until the new school opens?  

Through the temporary school placements, Josiah Henson PS students and staff will be organized together as classes, effectively operating as a ‘school within a school’. Josiah Henson PS students will operate independently from their host school (e.g. separate learning spaces, assemblies, etc.) This reduces overall disruption and supports students through the physical transitions by establishing familiar routines, having consistent classmates, and to the best of our ability, teachers and support staff.  

If students were to remain in their current schools and move to the new school halfway through the first term, a larger number of students and staff would be impacted, as many classes would need to be reorganized. This would result in more students having different teachers and different classmates. 

Why do Josiah Henson PS students have to attend different schools?  

Until the new school building is ready, Josiah Henson PS school students and staff will be using available space at two nearby schools. This space will be supplemented by portables so that all the JHPS classes can be accommodated at two locations. 

As part of the temporary school placements, staff have prioritized reducing disruption as much as possible for students and staff within the school communities involved. 

In the plan, Josiah Henson PS students and staff will be organized together as classes, as this will enable them to move together into the new school. This reduces overall disruption and supports students through the physical transitions by establishing familiar routines, having consistent classmates, and to the best of our ability, teachers and support staff. 

Therefore, Josiah Henson PS JK-Grade 4 classes will be located at Rosemary Brown PS, and students in Grades 5-8 will be located at Michaëlle Jean PS.  

How will the increased traffic at Rosemary Brown PS and Michaëlle Jean PS be accommodated?  

While every family has unique circumstances and driving may be the most suitable option, we also encourage carpooling, riding a bike or walking to school where it can be done safely to help reduce traffic in school zones and school parking lots. To support the safety of students, we will have the presence of school safety patrollers and adult crossing guards, in cooperation with the local community. School staff are also available every morning and after school, to support safe entry onto school property. 

Can the school opening be delayed an entire year, instead of moving students partway through the first semester?  

To manage accommodation pressures at partner schools within the Josiah Henson PS community, it is important to assume occupancy of the new school as soon as possible. 

Can I apply for my child to remain at their current school next year, instead of moving schools?  

All requests for ‘out of area’ (not your designated home school) students are subject to the Permission to Enrol Procedure. Families should note that an application to transfer to an out of area school does not guarantee they can be accommodated, and transportation for out of area students is not provided. 

When will we know if we have space at the Josiah Henson childcare centre?  

We are collaborating closely with our licensed childcare partner to support before and after-school care needs at the temporary host school. Families on the waitlist for childcare at Josiah Henson PS should expect communication from our childcare partner by the end of July.  

Will there be more before and after-school capacity at Michaëlle Jean PS and Rosemary Brown PS to accommodate the delayed opening? 

SKD Child Care is working with the DDSB to determine available before and after school care capacity to accommodate the Josiah Henson PS program while it is temporarily located at Rosemary Brown PS and Michaëlle Jean PS. 


Message to Josiah Henson Public School Families - June 2025

Dear Josiah Henson Public School Families,

We continue to be very excited about the new Josiah Henson Public School, which will help support our growing student population in the Pickering Seaton community.

We are writing to inform you that, unfortunately, the opening of the new school, originally scheduled for September 2025, has been delayed. This update is being shared with families of students currently attending Westcreek PS, Elizabeth B. Phin PS, Highbush PS, and DDSB@Home – Elementary, who were scheduled to transition to Josiah Henson PS.

We recognize the delay in the opening of Josiah Henson PS impacts families in different ways, and we appreciate what families have shared about these specific impacts. Please know that we recognize these impacts and are committed to supporting families throughout this transition. 


What You Can Expect:
  • School Placement:  Students in JK to Grade 4along with staff from Josiah Henson PS, as of September 2025, will be temporarily located at Rosemary Brown PS, at 270 Williamson Drive West, Ajax, until the new building is ready for occupancy.
    Students in Grades 5 to 8 along with staff from Josiah Henson PS, as of September 2025 will be temporarily located at Michaëlle Jean PS, at 180 Williamson Drive East, Ajax, until the new building is ready for occupancy.
  • Transportation: For families requiring transportation, details will be shared as plans are firmed up during the summer. Once the Josiah Henson PS building opens, regular board transportation policies will apply, with service for those living more than 1.6 km away. 
  • Child Care: We know that childcare planning is top of mind for many families. We are working closely with our licensed childcare partner and will share further details as soon as they are confirmed.

We are actively working with our construction partners to reduce this delay. At this time, we are anticipating the building will be completed in October 2025, with students and staff expected to move in shortly after completion. We will continue to keep families updated as the project progresses.

We want to thank families who have shared feedback throughout this process—it has been critical in helping our planning team develop a strong contingency plan. District staff are finalizing details to support students and staff during this period. Updates will be available on the DDSB website.

If you have any additional questions in the meantime, the school’s email is josiahhensonps@ddsb.ca. Staff will respond to questions in late August. You can also visit the DDSB website where we post updates.

We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to open a beautiful new school that will serve this community for many years to come. 

Message to Michaëlle Jean PS & Rosemary Brown PS Families - June 2025

Dear Michaëlle Jean PS & Rosemary Brown PS Families,

We are reaching out to families and students of Michaëlle Jean PS and Rosemary Brown PS to let you know that due to a delay in construction at the new Josiah Henson PS, located at 1100 Azalea Avenue in Pickering, students and staff from Josiah Henson PS will be temporarily accommodated at Michaëlle Jean PS and Rosemary Brown PS until the completion and opening of the Josiah Henson school building this fall.

Beginning in September 2025, classes for Josiah Henson PS students will be held at Michaëlle Jean PS and Rosemary Brown PS. When construction is complete and the new school building is ready for occupancy, Josiah Henson students and staff will transition together into their new school community.

We appreciate that hosting another school—temporarily—may raise questions about space, school routines, and community life. We want to reassure you that careful planning is underway to ensure a smooth and respectful integration of both school communities, while maintaining high-quality learning environments for all students.

As of September 2025, students in JK to Grade 4 and staff from Josiah Henson PS will temporarily be located at Rosemary Brown PS while students in Grades 5 to 8 and staff from Josiah Henson PS will be temporarily located at Michaëlle Jean PS. Students and staff temporarily at your school will be located in a combination of existing classrooms supported by portables.

We sincerely thank the Michaëlle Jean PS and Rosemary Brown PS communities for your flexibility and support as we work to complete this important project. Your cooperation plays a key role in helping us welcome a new school community and support a smooth start to the school year for all.

Sincerely,

Durham District School Board 

  

Quarterly Construction Reports

The Facilities Design & Construction and Major Projects  Departments produces Quarterly Construction Reports four times each school year.

These reports are designed to provide information relating to the current construction and major projects progress taking place at the Durham District School Board.

The reports are presented in the public portion of the respective Board Meetings in the following months: September, January, March and June.

September

September 2019

September 2020

September 2021

September 2022

September 2023

September 2024

January 

January 2020

January 2021

January 2022

January 2023

January 2024

January 2025

March 

April 2020 -  from cancelled March Board meeting due to COVID-19.

March 2021

March 2022

March 2023

March 2024

March 2025

June 

June 2020

June 2021

June 2022

June 2023

June 2024

June 2025