Watch the webinar above to learn in detail how to apply to a TDSB elementary alternative school.
There is a NEW universal online application form and admissions process for all TDSB elementary alternative schools. Important dates and highlights are listed below. Please be patient as everyone is learning the new system together.
TDSB Equity Priority Admissions:
*TDSB’s Sibling Policy only gives priority admissions. It does not guarantee placement. This means a sibling of an existing enrolled student will be given a spot only if one is available in their specific grade. If no spot is available, the sibling may not attend the school. The sibling will need to reapply the following school year.
Applicants may apply up to a maximum of two elementary alternative schools using the same universal online application form, located on the TDSB website. There is no ranking preference of school options provided on the form. TDSB head office will only offer placement to one of the two schools listed on the form based on space availability in that specific grade. Selection is random and done using a third-party Board approved software (i.e. a computer, NOT a person). It is recommended that If an applicant has a strong preference of school choice, like Equinox, that they should only apply to that one school. Otherwise, they risk getting offered a spot at the second choice school.
After March 28, 2023 enrolment at TDSB elementary alternative schools becomes frozen. This is now standard practice across the Board for all schools which are not designed local home schools, including special interest programs, academies, etc. This is done to reduce student movement as much as possible between TDSB schools after the Board has completed its staff allocations and class breakdowns for the upcoming school year for all of its 583 schools. Unfortunately, student movement not only impacts those students choosing to switch schools, but also those who do not move.
For example, if a student turns down a spot after March, that decision currently impacts only two schools – the elementary alternative school (like Equinox) and the local designated home school the student is choosing to attend instead. If an elementary alternative school accepted another student after March from another school it would add a third school into the mix. Thus, further increasing student movement across the Board and increasing the ripple effect on staffing allocations, class breakdowns, etc. for all the schools involved in those student switches. A shift of just one student may be enough to tip a school to gain/loose a teacher and/or decrease/increase class sizes when TDSB conducts its annual board-wide reorganization each fall. That process ensures TDSB’s finite resources (as specified and financed by the Ontario Ministry of Education) goes to where students actually show-up each September vs. where the Board predicted the previous Spring.
Please note, TDSB has not yet informed elementary alternative schools exactly how many new students they may accept for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year per each grade. The number of students accepted varies year to year and is determined by TDSB head office.
If language or other barriers make the application process challenging for your family or anyone you may know, please reach out to the Equinox school administration so they may try to help: equinox@tdsb.on.ca
Equinox hosts only one in-person Open House each school year in January. All are welcome to attend, including children. No registration is required to participate. The event starts with a formal presentation in the gym by staff, followed by school tours. The 2022-2023 school year Open House has already past. It was held on January 11, 2023. The next Open House will be in January 2024.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate individual personal tours due to staff time constraints and to maintain the integrity of the program and privacy of our students. If you would like to learn more about Equinox in the meantime, please watch the video below.
Equinox is a Toronto District School Board (TDSB) elementary alternative school. As a publicly funded school, it is open to anyone residing in Toronto and free to attend. As an “out-of-area” status school (formally known as “optional attendance”), student transportation to/from the school is not provided by the Board.
For more information about the school, please click the button below or visit the TDSB site, and look under Equinox: http://www.tdsb.on.ca