The Capital Strategy identifies new schools, additions to schools and replacement school requirements and will serve as the basis for the Board’s multi-year capital funding request to the Ministry of Education.
2022-2023 Capital Priorities Program Submission List (PDF)
2022-2024 Capital Strategy (PDF)
The goals of the Capital Strategy are provided below. The implementation of each goal is subject to Ministry of Education approvals and funding.
- To provide community schools for all students wherever possible
- To provide permanent accommodation to match sustainable community growth in a timely fashion
- To minimize the reliance on portable accommodation
- To replace older school facilities where conditions warrant
- To utilize excess capacity within the system wherever practical
- To combine schools and/or undertake pupil accommodation reviews where circumstances warrant according to Policy #463, Pupil Accommodation Review
Projects Submitted to the Ministry of Education
2022-23 Capital Priorities Program (CPP)Submission List
Elementary
| *Proposed Opening | Project Name | Municipality | Project Type | Proposed Capacity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Queensville PS (Replacement/ New School) | East Gwillimbury | Growth / Replacement | 638 | Approved |
| 2024 | Blue Willow PS Kindergarten Retrofit | Vaughan | Retrofit | 668 | Approved |
| 2026 | Holland Landing #1 ES | East Gwillimbury | Growth | 638 | |
| 2026 | VMC ES | Vaughan | Growth | TBD |
Secondary
| *Proposed Opening | Project Name | Municipality | Project Type | Proposed Capacity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Unionville HS Modular Replacement | Markham | Replacement | 322 | |
| 2027 | Block 11 SS | Vaughan | Growth | TBD |
* Proposed opening dates are based on a timeline of 4 years for elementary and 5-6 years for secondary and are contingent on timing of Ministry of Education approval.
Emerging Project Areas: Potential in 5-10 Years
| Panel | Area Descriptor | Municipality | Project Type | Proposed Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elem | Angus Glen / Berczy Glen / Robinson Glen | Markham | Growth | TBD |
| Elem | North Leslie | Richmond Hill | Growth | TBD |
| Elem | Oak Ridges | Richmond Hill | Growth | TBD |
Longer-term Growth Areas
| Panel | Area Descriptor | Municipality | Project Type | Proposed Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elem | Hwy 7 Intensification | Markham | Growth | TBD |
| Elem | Maple | Vaughan | Growth | TBD |
| Elem | Newmarket | Newmarket | Growth / Replacement | TBD |
| Elem | Stouffville | Stouffville | Growth | TBD |
| Elem | Woodbridge / Kleinburg | Vaughan | Growth | TBD |
| Sec | North Markham | Markham | Growth | TBD |
Emerging Project Areas and Longer-term Growth Areas are listed in alphabetical order. Potential future project areas have been identified as an Emerging Project Area or Longer-term Growth Area based on current residential growth assumptions and will continue to be reviewed and updated as required when additional data becomes available.
Proposed Pupil Accommodation Reviews
In previous Capital Strategies, small schools have been reviewed and recommendations were brought forward to annually review or propose that Pupil Accommodation Reviews (PARs) be considered where appropriate. A number of variables would impact the consideration for a Pupil Accommodation Review (PAR), as small schools could have more than one emerging concern. At this time, the Ministry of Education has placed a moratorium on initiating PARs.
In the 2019 Capital Strategy and Capital Priorities Program Submission List report, staff reviewed the status of small schools and proposed that pupil accommodation reviews be considered for Newmarket Central (J.L.R. Bell Public School) and Markham Thornhill (Stornoway Crescent Public School) once the Ministry of Education lifts the moratorium on PARs.
Future Student Accommodation
Planning staff review new residential development applications across the entire Region to ensure adequate pupil accommodation. We work with municipalities and developers to designate school sites in areas of significant residential development, several years, or decades, before a new home is even constructed.
The Board reviews accommodation priorities on an annual basis, and depending on the anticipated timelines for development, we establish areas where school accommodation pressures are most imminent. Notwithstanding the Board’s ability to designate a school site in an area of residential development, the construction of a school is based on availability of the school site from the developer, a threshold of students in the area, pupil places available in neighbouring schools including portable usage, and funding from the Ministry of Education.
If you are looking to move to a new York Region community, please inquire with Planning Services staff regarding the status of a school site in a development plan.