Durham District School Board facilities department continues to work on capital projects and renovations to keep schools and facilities modern and up to date for students, staff and visitors to our facilities.

Dunbarton High School was provided with a ventilation upgrade to existing rooftop air handling units, ductwork, and building automation controls to provide an upgraded system in line with modern day energy and operational standards.

G.L. Roberts CVI received a new asphalt parking lot and entrance canopy along the west side of the school. The new parking space will support the school’s growing need for additional staff and visitor parking.

J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate received replacement of an existing boiler plant including pumps, drives, and supporting mechanical equipment. The school also had their existing chillers replaced. These projects serve the dual purpose to address ongoing maintenance issues related to age and condition and also serve to modernize these systems in support of current energy and operational standards.

Ontario Street Public School received a watermain replacement. Due to the age of the school, the project included not only the replacement of the watermain but an addition of a dedicated fire main service, in line with modern day building and fire code compliance.

Vaughan Willard Public School received a hallway floor replacement. The project included the removal of all flooring and concrete slab throughout the main hallway and replacement with a new concrete slab and ceramic tile flooring. 

This year, Durham District School Board launched Engage DDSB — a dedicated space for open, transparent community engagement, aligned with and supporting new Community Engagement Policy and Procedures.

In order to encourage community voice, the platform brings together key initiatives and decisions from across the District in one accessible place. More than a source of information, Engage DDSB creates meaningful opportunities for people to share their perspectives and help shape the work ahead.

By centralizing engagement and making participation more visible and consistent, DDSB is strengthening how it connects with the communities it serves, ensuring voices are heard at the right time, and in the right way.

This work reflects a clear commitment: to listen, to learn, and to make space for community voice in decisions that matter.

This year, Durham District School Board introduced a new Record and Information Management Policy alongside a Classification and Retention Schedule, establishing a clear and consistent approach to how information is organized, stored, and maintained across the system.

These tools ensure that important records are accessible when needed, protected appropriately, and retained or disposed of in line with legislative and operational requirements. By creating shared standards across departments, DDSB is reducing duplication, improving efficiency, and supporting more reliable access to information.

This work strengthens the foundation of the Board’s corporate systems, helping ensure information is accurate, secure, and available to support decision-making, service delivery, and public accountability. 

Together, these improvements advance a more integrated, sustainable approach to managing information across the District.

In 2026, Durham District School Board strengthened how policies are developed, reviewed, and shared across the system.

A new Policy Development Policy and supporting procedure provide clear, consistent direction for how policies are created and maintained. The introduction of a centralized policy register ensures all policies and procedures are tracked and reviewed on a defined five-year cycle. This improves accountability and reduces the risk of outdated guidance.

To support this work, staff have received targeted training to build capacity and consistency in policy development. At the same time, DDSB has launched a newly redesigned policy section of its public website to make policies easier to find, understand, and access.  

Together, these changes are creating a more transparent, accessible, and accountable policy framework, strengthening governance and supporting informed decision-making across the District.