Frequently Asked Questions

Modified Calendar Schools:

Elementary modified school offices (Winchester and C.E. Broughton public schools) reopen on Monday, July 28, 2025.

Secondary modified school offices (Brock HS, Henry Street HS and Maxwell Heights SS) reopen on Thursday, August 14, 2025.

Regular Calendar Schools:

Elementary and secondary school offices reopen on Monday, August 25, 2025.

All DDSB 2025-2026 calendars can be found on our School Year Calendars webpage. On that page you can find out more about when scheduled breaks, professional activity days, and holidays take place.

School hours of operation vary by school. Please visit your school’s website, found on the School Directory.

Parents/guardians are required to complete the returning student verification form. For Modified Elementary students (C.E. Broughton and Winchester Public Schools) the form will be available via the Parent Portal on Tuesday, July 30, 2025.

For Modified Secondary students (Brock HS, Henry Street HS, and Maxwell Heights SS) the form will be available via the Parent Portal on Monday, August 11, 2025.

For Regular Calendar Elementary and Secondary students the form will be available via the Parent Portal on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.

Please contact your child’s school office staff for assistance with the form and/or to request submission of the form information in an alternative format. If you have contacted them and they are unable to assist, please ask the school secretary or Principal to submit an IT help ticket so that the problem can be resolved via the school.

Modified elementary students’ (C.E. Broughton and Winchester Public Schools) homeroom teacher information* will be available via the Parent Portal on Friday, August 1, 2025.

Regular calendar elementary students’ homeroom teacher information will be available via the Parent Portal on Friday, August 29, 2025.

*Homeroom teacher information will only display if you have completed the returning student verification form.

Modified Secondary students; (Brock HS, Henry Street HS, and Maxwell Heights SS) timetables* will be available via the Parent Portal on Friday, August 15, 2025.

Regular calendar secondary students; timetables* will be available via the Parent Portal on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

*Timetable information will only display if you have completed the returning student verification form.

Each spring DDSB staff work to carefully project school enrolment numbers by grade for the upcoming school year. Enrolments may fluctuate in August and early September as students enter and leave the District. In September, enrolment is confirmed through school attendance over the first 2-3 weeks of school with class reorganizations taking place in late September. This can result in existing classes having a new teacher assigned, or classes being split up in order to accommodate students in order to meet Ministry of Education mandated class size requirements.

The best place to start is by speaking with office staff at your children's current school. They can help you navigate the process of transferring schools within the Board. Visit the school directory page on this website for school contact information.

Reach out to the DDSB school your child most recently attended to confirm disenrollment. They will be the best people to assist you. Visit the school directory page on this website for school contact information

All students must be registered at their designated home school. To discuss the options available to you if you are wanting to transfer to an ‘out of area’ (not your designated home school) school, please begin your request with your child’s current school. School level staff will be the best people to assist you with your child’s education. Please also review the Permission to Enrol Procedure (school other than designated home school).

To register a new student in a DDSB school:

1. Use the school locator to find schools in your area boundaries.
2. Complete the new student online registration.
3. Wait for the school to contact you for an appointment (you will need to provide supporting documents at this time).
4. Go to the meeting with the required supporting documents and complete registration.

For confirmation regarding your child's home school designation, contact our Property and Planning Department via e-mail at: Planning.Department@ddsb.ca or by phone 905-666-6421 or 1-800-339-6913 ext. 6421.

For more information about this process, visit the DDSB registration page.

Your child must meet the following age requirements to enter Kindergarten:

• To register for Junior Kindergarten, your child must be 4 years old by December 31 in the current year.
• To register for Senior Kindergarten, your child must be 5 years old by December 31 in the current year.

Typically Kindergarten registration opens the first Tuesday in January after students return from the winter break. More information will be shared on ddsb.ca and our social media channels closer to this date.

To apply to school as an international student, visit the International Students webpage and complete the application.

Particularly in August and September, DSTS receives a high volume of calls and e-mail inquiries. We encourage families to review the DSTS website prior to contacting our office.

If your question is not addressed, please email concerns@dsts.on.ca

Please note: DSTS does not accept walk-in appointments from families. 

For Kindergarten to Grade 8 students, bus transportation is available for students residing more than 1.6 kilometres from their designated school. For students in Grades 9 to 12, bus transportation is available for those students residing more than 3.2 kilometres from their designated school. You can find out more about student transportation on the Durham Student Transportation Service (DSTS) website.

Durham Student Transportation Services uses a Geographic Information System (GIS) planning software program to determine the distance measurement for all students within the service area. The software determines the distance eligibility to each school. As part of this process, distance measurement is taken from the residential property line to the closest property line of the designated area school.

Townhouses and apartment complexes will be measured from the property line of the complex to the closest property line of the designated area school. The measurement is taken on the shortest route to the school. Municipal pedestrian walkways are included in the walk distance calculation.

DSTS encourages families to contact our office to confirm transportation eligibility. We ask that families do not attempt to validate their eligibility based on Google Maps as the calculation almost always differs from Google Maps.

Your child(ren) will automatically be routed if eligible. Their stop and time information can be accessed via the Student Portal or by calling the DSTS automated information line at 1-866-908-6578 or 905-666-6979. If no stop/time information is available, this could be due to several reasons:

1. Your residential address is less than 1.6 km (Elementary) or 3.2 km (Secondary) to the designated area school, based on our GIS mapping (see details above).
2. You have recently moved or changed schools, and your address/school has not yet been updated in the system. Please check back in 3-5 business days.
3. You may have an error in your file. Please connect with your home school to ensure your child's(ren's) files are up to date.

Transportation information is released mid to end of August every year.

Make sure you contact your designated home school with the most accurate information for your child(ren) to update busing records. Please allow 3-5 business days for new stop/time, if applicable to become available on the Student Portal and the DSTS automated information line.

Families and caregivers are encouraged to contact their child's current school in advance of making these changes so they know what to expect and can plan appropriately. Changes made before June 1 for the upcoming school year will be reflected in the Student Portal and the DSTS automated information line prior to September 1st.

Please note families who choose to attend an out of boundary school other than their designated area school are not eligible for board-based transportation.

As soon as possible. If you know your child(ren) will be switching schools in the fall, please notify your child's(ren's) current school about your plans before June 1.

Here are a few ways families may choose to support their child(ren)

1. Adhere to your backpack using the provided case or one of your choosing.
2. Older students may choose to download their mTransport pass onto their phone if they have one to make sure they don’t lose it.
3. Students of all ages may use photocopies of their card.

Please keep your card! Your card is connected to your child, so the information it contains will change with them. 

The bus is considered an extension of the classroom and the school Principal is responsible for following up with student behaviour issues. Contact the school if you have concerns regarding student behaviour on the bus. 

Parents/Guardians can subscribe to the DSTS mailing list to receive automated notifications of bus cancellations and delays. For more information, please visit the DSTS website.

At the start of the school year for most school boards in Ontario, there are typically increased bus delays or cancellations based on staffing and start-up challenges. DSTS and their contracted transportation providers work diligently to recruit new school bus drivers on a regular basis and manage unforeseen issues that arise with bus routes. The cancellation of school bus routes is a last resort.

In the event that transportation services are cancelled due to inclement weather, both elementary and secondary schools located within the affected cancellation zone(s) will remain open.

Families will be notified as soon as possible (no later than 7:00 a.m.) through a posting on the DDSB website, social media, and where possible, through local radio stations and media outlets.

You can review the inclement weather zone maps by visiting the DSTS website.

The Durham District School Board (DDSB) supports the provision of quality child care services in its schools through qualified, licensed child care operators where space is available and the need for service has been identified through community/regional planning processes. Registration and availability of programs is managed by our child care partners. You will need to contact the partner directly to inquire about availability. We offer Child Care programs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, as well as before and after school programs for elementary school children.
If you require additional information, please reach out to the DDSB Early Years team, at EarlyYears@ddsb.ca.

You can view your children’s grades by logging into the Parent Portal and navigating to the “Grades and Attendance” section in the left panel. Grades will display in the Parent Portal on the day report cards are scheduled to be sent home. Parents/guardians will receive electronic copies of their report cards throughout the school year if a valid email address is on file for your student. If you have trouble accessing this information, please contact your children’s school office for assistance.

Parent-teacher conferences are available at select times throughout the school year, typically around report card distribution. Contact your school office for more information.

Secondary students can register for summer school through the Durham Continuing Education website. Only secondary summer learning program information will be available on the DCE website. Elementary summer learning programs are limited. Information about these programs is shared with schools and individual families prior to the summer break.

Visit the Durham Continuing Education website for program opportunities that best suit your needs such as: Adult Day School, Night School, Credit Recovery, and more.

School staff can assist you with the Parent Portal, Google Classroom, Chromebooks, and provide information on various topics including passwords, login details, access codes, equipment (including how to obtain a Chromebook and power cords), contact information updates, name changes, absences, address changes, OENs, and report cards. Please contact your home school’s secretary for assistance with any of these matters. Parents/guardians are also encouraged to read our Parent Portal FAQ for support.

You can find a student’s OEN at the top of any current or old report card. The number remains the same throughout their education until graduation. If you cannot find the OEN at the top of an old report card or you are a parent/guardian of a JK student and do not yet have an OEN for your child, please reach out to the secretary at your school for assistance with this information.

Through the school year, transcript requests are processed through the student's most recently attended school or the secondary school they graduated from. Contact the Guidance Department of the school you last attended to request a transcript. All secondary schools keep student transcripts for 55 years.

If the secondary school you last attended is now permanently closed, please visit our website to find out which current DDSB secondary school keeps those records.

Beginning the second week of July through to the third week of August, you may request a transcript online. Transcript requests will be fulfilled 3 to 5 business days following the receipt of your form.

All student absences including late arrivals and early dismissals are to be reported via SchoolMessenger. Download the SchoolMessenger app or visit the website for more information.

DDSB schools use SchoolMessenger to communicate with parents/guardians. This system allows schools to send messages via email, mobile app notification, and by telephone. Parents/guardians should ensure they have added current contact information to their SchoolMessenger profile and will have an opportunity to confirm contact information is accurate when reviewing/updating the annual verification form in late August. Educators may communicate with parents/guardians through different channels and they will inform you directly.

To receive direct updates about your child(ren)’s education, you must have a valid e-mail registered with us. Please contact your child(ren)’s school to make this request. They will need to verify your identity for legal/privacy reasons.

The DDSB website can easily be translated into many different languages through Google Translate. You will find the Select Language feature on every DDSB webpage in the banner at the top of the page next to the magnifying glass icon or search feature.

1. Go to ddsb.ca on a computer or laptop device.
2. Click on the Select Language button in the banner at the top of the webpage.
3. Choose your preferred language from the list.

We encourage you to follow us on Twitter @DDSBSchools, Facebook DurhamDistrictSchoolBoard, and Instagram @DDSBSchools, and visit our website often for information and updates.

Durham Region is currently experiencing a rapid increase in population due to new developments being built. The Durham District School Board (DDSB) has been proactive in making submissions to the Ministry of Education to seek approval for the creation of new schools to meet this pressure, but the timing of school construction does not always align with the speed of residential growth.

What this means is that as new communities are developed and families move into their new home, the school designated for that neighbourhood is often not yet built as the approval, funding, and construction period can be lengthy. In some cases, it could take 7 to 10 years after the construction of new homes for a new school to open. As a result, several schools are designated as partner schools throughout the District, accommodating new students from areas experiencing new development or growth, until a new school can be built in that community.

Check out our Quarterly Construction Updates Report on our website. 

As communities grow and evolve, schools may experience an increase in student enrolment. Portable classrooms are added to help ease this pressure by providing learning spaces for students. The DDSB’s goal is to provide a conducive learning environment for all students while managing resources effectively as we carefully consider long-term solutions to address enrollment growth such as boundary reviews and/or until we receive Ministry of Education approval for new schools. When portables are no longer required, they are relocated elsewhere and/or locked on-site.

New schools are funded by the Ministry of Education and DDSB requires their approval to construct a new school. School boards need to confirm to the Ministry that there are enough students enrolled at DDSB to fill a new school prior to requesting funds. All school boards across Ontario compete for the funding available, resulting in not all projects being funded when requested. It could take years to justify and receive a capital allocation for a new school. Once an allocation is received, there are Ministry approvals, municipal approvals, and construction which can take an additional two to three years.

Check out our Quarterly Construction Updates Report on our website. 

This can vary based upon the Ministry of Education review of all Capital Priorities across Ontario. It could take a year or up to six years, based upon DDSB past experiences. If there is space available for students in nearby schools, the new school could potentially not receive funding approval until it is fully utilized.

Check out our Quarterly Construction Updates Report on our website.

School boundaries are based upon your address. If the neighbouring school is not your home school and if there is space you can request to attend as out of area, with no transportation provided.

30 Credits My Way puts students and families in the driver's seat, empowering them to navigate their high school pathway with confidence.

Students in Ontario are required to undertake a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement prior to graduation. More information, visit our webpage on Community Involvement Hours.

Visit the OSSLT webpage of the EQAO website for more information and updates.

Visit the Assessments webpage of the EQAO website for more information and updates.

The specific resources and materials your child should bring to school may vary depending on their grade level, the school's policies, and the subjects they are studying. However, common items that students often need include a school bag, notebooks, pens/pencils, erasers, highlighters, ruler, calculator, art supplies (coloured pencils, markers, scissors, glue), and a geometry set. Google Chromebooks are provided to students in Grades 7 to 12 through their school.

Student passwords can be changed or recovered through the self-serve password tool. Instructions can be found on the Digital Learning page. If the self-serve option is not working for you, please contact your teacher for password assistance.

The Student Chromebook Guide provides helpful information about connecting to your home network, service requests, what to do if the device is damaged, and more.

No. All DDSB devices are under warranty with our vendor. Any issues with the device should be reported to your teacher or school office so that DDSB staff can repair the device. Do not take DDSB devices for repair outside of the DDSB as this may void the warranty. Please review these helpful troubleshooting FAQs if you encounter any issues.

We ask that you first connect with the staff at your child’s school. They will be able to provide you with the appropriate steps and drop off location.

We understand that learning is increasingly taking place online. We want to teach our students how to interact with online materials while staying safe. You can find information and resources for families on our Online Safety and Digital Citizenship page.

Before graduation students will be sent information on how to transfer their files to another space. Students should transfer their files within 7 days of graduating. Our IT department only retains student data for a short period of time after graduation or un-enrolment. It is unlikely that we will be able to recover your student files.

A mobile device is any personal electronic device that can be used to communicate or access the internet, such as a laptop, cellphone, tablet or smart watch. Wearables such as smart watches must be put into the equivalent of 'airplane mode' for the duration of the school day in elementary, and during instructional time in secondary.

Students in grades K-8 must keep mobile devices silent and out of sight for the entirety of the school day. 

Students in grades 9-12, can use their personal mobile devices during non-instructional times such as lunch or spares.

Students may face consequences if they use their personal mobile devices inappropriately. The inappropriate use of such devices may mean that school staff:

• require a student to hand in their personal mobile device;
• store the mobile device in a safe place for the rest of the day.

Any student who does not hand in their device when required, will be referred to school administration. A bias-aware progressive discipline approach will be used to address breaches of this section of the DDSB Code of Conduct.

The policy applies to all personal electronic devices, whether or not they have been set up for internet access.

There are a few methods you can use to report your child’s absence from school.  

• Calling 1-844-350-2646
• Online  
• On your smartphone through the SchoolMessenger app 

Please refer to the Report an Absence page of our website for a list of student absence codes.

Vaccines required for school under the Immunization of School Pupils Act are administered by the Durham Region Health Department (DRHD). Every year, the DRHD reviews immunization records of students to ensure they are up to date on required vaccines. If you receive an immunization reminder letter, this indicates that the DRHD is missing vaccine information for your child. For more information, including a list of vaccines needed for school required by the Immunization of School Pupils Act, as well as information regarding immunization exemptions, please visit the Durham Region Health Department.

Should your child become ill or injured, staff will assist and parents/guardians will be contacted as quickly as possible. It is important that schools have the most up-to-date information to contact the parent/guardian in the event of an emergency.

DDSB schools are considered allergy aware. Where possible, all environments should be free from any trace of allergens. Please be aware of common allergen foods (nuts, etc.) and avoid sending these items in lunches/snacks. Contact your school Principal for more information on the school’s allergy guidelines and potential food restrictions.

DDSB does not exclude students from school for live lice or nits. Review the following resources to help prevent, manage, and treat lice:

• Caring for Kids

• Durham Region Health Department

School facilities are secured throughout the day, with exterior doors locked. Visitors must use the front door buzzer to enter the school during school hours.

From time to time schools may experience a situation that requires safety and security protocols to be implemented on the direction of the police or in consultation with emergency services. This happens with varying frequencies with situations such as a hold and secure or a shelter in place taking place more often than a lockdown or evacuation. Descriptions of emergency situations are included below. 

Schools will endeavour to inform parents/guardians of these situations as soon as reasonably possible. It is important to know that the first priority of the school administration is to ensure the safety of students and those in the building before communicating with parents/guardians.

Hold and Secure: Used in response to a threat of danger outside the school. All students and staff remain inside and away from all exterior doors and windows. Classroom routine continues as normal.

Shelter in Place: Used in response to an environmental situation occurring (i.e., neighbouring fire or severe weather) outside the school. Directions are specific to the environmental hazard.

Lockdown: Used in response to a threat of danger inside the school. Students and staff gather in a secured area, with doors locked and barricaded, windows covered, and lights turned off.

Evacuation: Used in response to a disaster situation (i.e., gas leak) inside the school. Students and staff are evacuated from the school until it is deemed safe by emergency response authorities. 

Students are encouraged to reach out to someone at their school if they have concerns or questions about their well-being. A guidance counsellor or teacher can support you and direct you to someone who can help if needed. In addition, we offer resources for students and parents/guardians on the Well-Being and Mental Health webpage.

We have a team of professionals available to assist which includes social workers, psychologists, and psychological associates. This team can also provide assistance in connecting you to community mental health services and supports. If you are interested in talking to someone on the DDSB Mental Health Team, please use the Mental Health Support Form to provide us with your contact information and a member of the team will be in touch as soon as possible. Please Note: This is not a crisis service. If it is an emergency, please call 911.

Your first point of contact when you have a concern with your child’s school, staff, well-being and/or education is the school administration. School level staff will be the best persons to assist and resolve any concerns you may have.

You can also visit the Bullying Prevention and Intervention webpage for information, resources, and to report an incident.

DDSB recognizes that Indigenous rights are distinct. In the exercise of those rights, Indigenous staff and students shall not be subjected to actions with the aim or effect of depriving these distinct rights. For more information about Indigenous rights, visit the Indigenous Education webpage and view the Indigenous Education Policy and Procedure on Classroom Practices.

DDSB is committed to providing services, employment, and learning and working environments that centre Indigenous rights, human rights, and equity and are welcoming, respectful, safe, inclusive, equitable, accessible, and free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, racism, oppression, and harm.

Please visit the Human Rights Policy page where you will find more information on how we will meet this commitment for all students, staff, and community members, including information about our Human Rights, Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism Policy and Procedure.

In addition, the DDSB’s Anti-Oppression webpage provides more information on initiatives to support equity and inclusive education, including addressing anti-Black racism.

Under the Human Rights, Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism Policy and summary, all students, parents/guardians, employees, and community members have responsibilities to treat everyone with dignity and respect, uphold human rights, and prevent discrimination in DDSB learning and working environments.

Expectations for students, families, and community members are also outlined in the Code of Conduct, and Discipline for Students Regulation. For more information please visit the Positive School Climates webpage.

If you need human rights accommodation, we want to know so we can address it. Your request will be handled confidentially and with sensitivity. Please visit How do I request an accommodation? and read this summary for more information on raising accommodation requests. Accommodation requests will be addressed using the Human Rights Inclusive Design and Accommodation Procedure.

If you are experiencing discrimination, we want to know so we can address it. The DDSB takes these matters very seriously and handles human rights issues and complaints confidentially and with sensitivity. Please visit How do I raise/report a human rights issue, or file a complaint?, and read this summary and Information Sheet for Students and Families for information on the options available to you. 

Student or family issues or complaints against DDSB employees will be addressed using the Student/Family Human Rights Issue, Incident and Complaint Resolution Procedure.

The DDSB’s Safe and Respectful Workplace and Harassment Prevention Policy and the Complaint Procedure – Human Rights, Safe and Respectful Workplace and Harassment Prevention outline employees’ rights and responsibilities to have working environments that are free from disrespectful conduct, harassment and discrimination.

The DDSB’s Human Rights Roles, Responsibilities and Accountability Framework and summary outline the DDSB’s approach to meeting individual and shared organizational roles, responsibilities, and accountability for human rights.

We are committed to upholding our responsibilities under the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for digital accessibility, and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR). This is also in keeping with our commitments related to inclusive design, the duty to accommodate, and preventing discrimination and ableism under the DDSB’s Human Rights, Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism policy and procedures.

For information about accommodations, alternative format requests, and DDSB accessibility practices please visit the Accessibility webpage.

Inclusive Student Services provides a range of services, supports, programs, and placements for students with special education needs. All programs promote integration and independence. Special education classes are also available and provide a greater intensity of support. For more information, please review the Inclusive Student Services 2025-26 Special Education Plan.

Students with special education needs are supported through individualized service and program plans. Educators provide accommodations, modified expectations, and alternative programming to students with special education needs, consulting with parents/guardians in the development of their child’s IEP.

The DDSB is committed to supporting and meeting the objectives and requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians Disabilities Act (AODA). The DDSB aims to ensure its services are accessible and provide equitable and inclusive environments for all. Should your child require accommodation, including adaptive technology or additional learning support, your child’s teacher can help you to access the appropriate accommodations.

Community use of schools is available in many schools, subject to availability. For inquiries, please visit the Renting School Spaces webpage.

DDSB policy does not permit solicitation or advertising of products, businesses or corporations in our schools or on Board property. If you wish to distribute materials in our schools or on our property, you can make a request through the Materials to Schools application questionnaire. Requests must be made at least two (2) weeks before the event date.

The DDSB recognizes the importance of partnership with parents/guardians in creating positive learning environments and ensuring student achievement and well-being. A number of opportunities are available for parents/guardians to play a role in their school community, including the School Community Council (SCC). To join your school’s SCC, contact the school Principal. All members are elected within the first 30 days of each new school year. SCC meetings are held at least four times each year.

Additionally, parents can take part in the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC), with potential vacancies available each September. Appointed PIC members serve a two-year term and support, encourage, and enhance parent engagement at the Board level. The PIC provides the Board with information and advice to help engage parents. While SCC’s are school-based, the PIC is a District-wide committee that links parents with the Board’s Director of Education and Trustees.