Admission Priorities

The TDSB will prioritize applicant admissions to Elementary Alternative Schools in the following order:

• Priority 1: First Nations, Métis, or Inuit Peoples
• Priority 2: Applicants who have sibling(s) already at the school and returning in September 2025
• Priority 3*: After the placement of Indigenous students and applicants with siblings, 25% of any remaining spaces at every grade (where available) in each school will be allocated to applicants who are current TDSB students and self-identify in one or more of the following:
  • Black
  • Ethno-racial group (e.g., East Asian, Latinx, Middle Eastern, South Asian, Southeast Asian)
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ (only for students applying to Grades 7 and 8)
  • Students with a disability** (If your child has a physical disability, it is recommended that you contact the Elementary Alternative School you are submitting an application for to ensure that your child can be accommodated).

*Note for Priority 3: In order to maintain the minimum 25% of prioritized seats, if a Priority 3 student declines a seat, the first Priority 3 student on the waitlist will be offered this seat in advance of other students.

• Priority 4: TDSB Priority 3 applicants not yet placed will be combined with other TDSB applicants for the remaining spaces.
• Priority 5: Other applicants whose parents’/legal guardians’/caregivers’ primary residence is in the City of Toronto (e.g., from independent/private schools, other school boards, home schooling, etc.) will be considered for placement if spaces are available.
• Priority 6: Applicants whose parents’/legal guardians’/caregivers’ primary residence is outside the City of Toronto will be considered for placement if spaces are available.

**Note for students with a disability: According to the Human Rights Code, the term “disability” covers a broad range and degree of conditions. A disability may have been present at birth, caused by an accident, or developed over time. Section 10 of the Code defines “disability” as:

1. any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
2. a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
3. a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
4. a mental disorder, or an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.