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Transfer Schools within the HDSB

Out of area transfer request​ (transferring schools) is the process where students can apply to attend a school other than the school designated for their area of residence.

The Halton District School Board encourage​s students to attend their designated school but students can apply to a school outside of their home school if there is enough space to accommodate them.​ Students who transfer to another school are not eligible for Board provided transportation.

Elementary Students - Transferring Schools

You’ll find the full Elementary Out-of-Area Transfer Request Administrative Procedure below, along with the required forms:

Elementary Out of Area Transfer Request Administrative Procedure Appendix B - Elementary Out-of-Area Transfer Application Appendix E - Out-of-Area Transfer Health Information Form

Last Week of November

  • Elementary Schools designated as Open/Closed
  • Administrative Procedure, parent/guardian letter (Appendix A) and listing of Open/Closed schools posted on Board website.

January – February 

  • Applications received at home school - date stamped by home school, signed off and forwarded to receiving school 
  • “Closed School” Principals deny requests and communicate to parents/guardians Appendix B and Appendix C 

March 

  • Late out of area transfer application acknowledgement letter sent to parent(s)/guardian(s) (on-going)  
  • Verify applications with school organizations, staffing and class size compliance
  • “Open School” Principal and Superintendent will review applications and confer with home school Principal Mid April Parent/Guardian Notification 

Mid April 

Parent/Guardian Notification

  • Approved Applications sent to parents/guardians by Receiving School Principal
  • For applications denied for reasons other than the school being a "Closed School", notification to parents/guardians will occur in mid-April

May - 1st week 

  • Appeals received and processed by requested school Superintendent

September - 3rd week

  • Kindergarten and late application decisions after final school numbers are confirmed​

  • School is designated as an “Open School” 
  • Compliance to Ministry Mandated Class Size* caps is achieved
  • Availability of pupil spaces as per class size guidelines 
  • School organization maintained (i.e., no new class would have to be created)
  • Staffing maintained (i.e., no need to hire additional staff or increase instructional resources) 
  • Program placement and options maintained (e.g., no displacing of students to an alternative class placement or the depletion of a program)
  • Fiscally responsible (i.e., no additional costs to the Board)
  • Rationale for request is not limited to child care arrangements 

*Note: The Halton District School Board is required to meet parameters set out by the Ministry of Education. The Board is required to ensure: 

  • Kindergarten classes are staffed at a Board-wide average of 26:2 (Teacher and Early Childhood Educator)
  • Primary (Grade 1 - 3) classes are at a ratio of 20:1 
  • The regional average class size for Grade 4 - 8 is 24.5:1

Principals may not consider ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​out of area transfer requests​ in kindergarten and/or primary classes that have reached or are approaching primary class size cap.​​

Elementary Schools Open to Transfer Requests for September 2025​

Applications are due by February 28, 2025, to the designated home school.​​

 Region

 Schools

East

Abbey Lane PS, Oakwood PS, Pine Grove PS​

North

Acton Elementary, Centennial PS, George Kennedy PS (Grades 2-5), Joseph Gibbons PS, Limehouse PS, McKenzie-Smith Bennett PS, Park PS, Pineview PS, Robert Little PS (Grades 2-5), W.I. Dick PS ​

West

Alexander’s PS, Clarksdale PS (Grade 2-6)​​​​, Dr. Charles Best PS, Frontenac PS, Kilbride PS, Lakeshore PS, Makwendam PS, Maplehurst PS (Grades 2-6), Mohawk Gardens PS, Pineland PS, Rolling Meadows PS, Sir E. MacMillan PS, Tecumseh PS​

Due to capacity limits and enrolment, all other elementary schools are not open to requests to transfer schools.

Secondary ​​Students - Transferring Schools

You’ll find the full Secondary Out-of-Area Transfer Request Administrative Procedure below, along with the required forms:

Secondary Out-of-Area Transfer Request Administrative Procedure Appendix A - Secondary Out-of-Area Transfer Application Appendix C - Out-of-Area Transfer Health Information Form

Last week of November

  • Schools designated open are posted on the Board website
  • Applications are given out by the designated home secondary school  (refer to Appendix A in the Secondary ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​out of area transfer request​ administrative procedure below)

Prior to 2nd F​​​​riday in January

  • Completed applications are returned to home secondary school

Last week of F​​ebruary

  • Area meetings are held by Superintendent for grade 9 transfer of schools requests
  • Decisions about all applications are made and communicated the first week of March 

Prior ​​​to end of June

  • Appeal decision letter sent to parents by Superintendent of requested school

Secondary Schools Open to Transfer Requests for September 2026

For the 2026-2027 school year, ALL secondary schools in each of our areas will be open to receive applications for Open To Transfer Requests. Applications are due by January 9, 2026 to the designated home school.​

​Appeals

Appeals to reconsider an application are permitted in situations where “extraordinary circumstances” need to be assessed. Appeals are to be submitted by parents, in writing, to the Superintendent(s) of Education of the requested school, copied to the home school and requested school Principal within 10 days of notification of application denied. The Superintendent(s) of Education makes decisions regarding appeals in consultation with the Principals involved, and communicates decisions in writing to the applicant and the schools. The decision of the Superintendent is final. ​