The York Region District School Board (YRDSB), until 1999, English-language Public District School Board No. 16[5] is the English-language public school board for the
Regional Municipality of York in
Ontario, Canada. The York Region District School Board is the province's third-largest school board after Toronto's
TDSB and Peel's
PDSB, with an enrolment of over 122,000 students.[6] It is in the fastest-growing
census division in Ontario and the third-fastest growing in Canada.[6]
The school board was officially known as the York Region Board of Education until it changed its name in 1998 to York Region District School Board.[7] Prior to 1971 it was called York County School Board (evolved from 1871 School Act
which replacing earlier school acts in merging elementary schools (known as public schools) with higher education (collegiate Institutes and high schools that formed from Grammar School Act of 1807 and Common School Act of 1850). It was later renamed to York Region Board of Education and renamed to English-language Public District School Board No. 16 in 1998 before adopting the current York Region District School Board name in 1999.
Governance
The YRDSB is governed by an elected board of
trustees, whose election coincides with the
municipal elections in Ontario held throughout the province every four years. The Board consists of 12 trustees, divided amongst the constituent municipalities based on population. Two student trustees are elected by students of the board.[8] The student trustees facilitate communication between students and the school board.[8] The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board are chosen by secret ballot of the trustees at the inaugural meeting in November.[9]
For day-to-day operations the most senior staff member of the board is the Director of Education, to whom the Associate Director and all of the Superintendents report. The Interim Director of Education is Scott Yake (since November 1, 2022).
Programs
Besides the
curriculum established by the
Government of Ontario, the York Region District School Board places heavy emphasis on its Character Matters program. As well, due to the multicultural nature, and large immigrant population of students under the YRDSB, the Board established the Race Relations Advisory Committee, a standing committee of the board to advise the trustees on issues related to ethnocultural relations. The committee is made up of trustees, staff, community members and students.
Divisions
The school board is divided into four Community Education Centres (North, Central, East and West).[10] The centres represent communities as follows:
In May 2017, the YRDSB was faced with a lawsuit. The board settled a human rights complaint with a parent who had been called the "N-word" by Nancy Elgie, a former board trustee. A Ministry of Education review found a "culture of fear" and "systemic discrimination" at the school board.[17]
^
ab"Enrolment and Demographics". Director's Report. York Region District School Board.
Archived from the original on May 8, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
^Student Transportation in Canada: Facts and Figures. Canadian Education Association. 1987.
ISBN0920315240.
^"Arts Unionville". Unionville High School. York Region District School Board.
Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
^"SHSM". Unionville High School. York Region District School Board.
Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2015.