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SSWAB FAQ

Secondary Schools without a Boundary - Who is Impacted?

No Change and No Impact Changes for Admission in September 2025
  • Students entering Grade 9 in September 2024 living within the technical and commercial boundaries.
  • Students already attending any of these schools are not impacted by the dissolution of the technical and commercial boundaries.
  • Students already attending in the Regular program may continue to attend the school until graduation, even if they have moved out of the attendance boundaries.
  • Students new to the TDSB living within the technical and commercial boundaries registering to attend during the 2024-25 school year (contact the school directly to register)
  • Students wishing to attend a CSIP at one of the SSWAB must complete the CSIP application during the application window (November).
  • Students with Exceptionalities will continue to be placed in Intensive Support Programs through the IPRC process.
  • Students living within the Collegiate boundary for Northern Secondary School continue to have access to the school without application
  • Students residing within the collegiate boundary for Northern SS already attending another TDSB secondary school through OOA do not need to apply to return to Northern SS at any regular transition point.
  • Students living within the legacy technical/commercial boundaries for any of the five schools but currently attending another TDSB school through Out-of-Area Admissions, a CSIP, French program or a Special Education Intensive Support program may opt to return and attend one of their designated secondary schools at any regular transition time during the 24-25 school year.
  • Students currently enrolled at Virtual Secondary School who previously attended one of the SSWAB can return to the SSWAB they attended, at any regular transition time as it is their last in-person school of record.
  • Students residing anywhere in the City of Toronto wishing to attend one of the SSWAB for September 2025 in any grade need to submit an application in January 2025 (with the exception of those residing in the Collegiate boundary for Northern Secondary School wishing to attend Northern SS). Those with siblings in attendance and returning to the school must also apply, but will be prioritized.
  • Anyone applying to these 5 schools will submit a Secondary School without a Boundary application, a new section of the Secondary Out-of-Area Admissions application.
  • Students living within the legacy technical/commercial boundaries for any of the five schools but currently attending another TDSB school through Out-of-Area Admissions, a CSIP, French program, Virtual Secondary School, or a Special Education Intensive Support program would only be able to return to their designated collegiate after September 2025. In order to access one of the SSWAB, an application would be required.

Frequently Asked Q&A

Why didn’t you just create a collegiate boundary for these schools instead of getting rid of their regional boundaries?

These schools are physically situated too close to an adjacent collegiate to create a new boundary. For example, Humberside CI and Western Technical-Commercial School are located approximately 700m apart, while Central Toronto Academy and Central Technical School are located within the collegiate boundary of Harbord CI, approximately 800m and 600m apart, respectively. Creating a new boundary was not feasible.

Will any of the existing programs at these schools be impacted by these changes? 

No, the proposed changes only impact how students are admitted to the regular program.  All other programs currently offered at these schools including Central Student Interest Programs and Special Education Programs are planned to continue, and their admission processes will remain unchanged.

Will this change impact Gifted programs? 

No, the proposed changes only impact admission to the regular program.  Admission into Gifted programs will continue to be through the Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) process.

What about the technical courses offered at the former Technical schools?  Will they continue? 

Yes, as former vocational schools many of these facilities offer unique facilities like specialized shops that may not be available in other schools. The TDSB is currently working on a strategy for Technical programming across the city.  As a result of this proposed change, students from across the City of Toronto with an interest in Technological studies will now have improved access to these learning opportunities. 

Now that students from across Toronto can attend these schools, will the Board provide transportation to these schools? 

Transportation to/from the four secondary schools without a boundary will not be provided.  Students will be required to make their own way to and from school

When will the application for Secondary Schools without a Boundary be open?

The application for Secondary Schools without a Boundary is included as part of the Secondary Out-of-Area Admissions application. For September 2025 entry, it will be open from January 6, 2025 - January 24, 2025. No late applications will be accepted. Applicants can opt to apply for:

  • One Out-of-Area Option
  • One Secondary School without a Boundary Option
  • Both an Out-of-Area option and a Secondary School without a Boundary option

I live in the technical boundary for Northern SS and want to attend Northern SS in September 2025. Do I have automatic entry to Northern SS?

No. Students residing in the legacy technical boundary will need to apply to the Secondary School without a Boundary using the Out-Of-Area Admissions application to Northern Secondary School in January 2025.

If I have a student currently enrolled in one of these schools can their younger sibling be admitted, or will they have to apply like everyone else? 

Like all students interested in attending one of these schools, the younger sibling will need to apply for admission. If the older sibling is returning to the school for the 2025-26 school year, the younger sibling will be considered as Priority #1 in the seating process for applicants.

My child is very interested in taking Technological studies classes at Western Technical-Commercial School. They no longer have automatic access. How will their application be considered?

30% of the seats available in each of the schools offering Technical programming will be allocated to applicants committed to taking Technological studies classes each and every year. Should there be more applicants interested in Technical programming than seats available, those not seated in the random selection process will be considered for the remaining seats that are available. 

I live within the Riverdale CI/Danforth Collegiate & Technical Institute catchment area but my child is attending a Central Student Interest Program at another school. If they wish to leave the program, what school will they return to?

As the restriction around accessing Riverdale CI after March 1 of the year a student is in Grade 8 is still in place, any student needing to “return” to Riverdale CI will continue to have automatic access to Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute.

I currently reside within the collegiate boundary for Harbord CI, the technical boundary for Central Technical School and the commercial boundary for Central Toronto Academy. My child is in Grade 8 (2024-25 school year) and wants to attend either Harbord CI or Central Technical School. What do we need to do to have these as options?

Harbord CI will remain an automatic option for your child as you live in the collegiate boundary and this is considered to be your designated school by address. No application is required. Your child will need to apply in January for Central Technical School. The Secondary School without a Boundary application is part of the Secondary Out-of-Area Admissions application. With your address, your child will be considered as Priority #3 for Central Technical School as you live within the collegiate boundary for a school dependent on access to the Technical school.

If I reside in the collegiate boundary for North Toronto CI, am I considered as Priority #3 if I am applying to Central Toronto Academy?

No. The collegiate priority only applies to the connected Secondary School without a Boundary. Your Priority #3 status would only apply for an application that was submitted for Northern Secondary School.

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