Toronto Catholic District School Board
Encyclopedia
The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) is the publicly-funded Catholic school board
for Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
, headquartered in North York. It is one of the two English
boards of education in the City of Toronto, serving the former municipalities of Scarborough
, North York, York
, East York
, Toronto and Etobicoke. With over 91,000 students, the TCDSB is one of the largest school boards in Canada and second in North America (the other being New York City Department of Education
in the United States.)
schools in Toronto. In 1998 the board was reorganised, resulting in the separation of English and French language
schools, the latter of which are now part of the Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud
. The resulting board was named the Toronto Catholic District School Board.
, making them open to any students who wish to attend, elementary schools do not have to enroll non-Catholic students. Many argue that the practice of fully funding separate schools exclusively for the Catholic faith is discriminatory to other religions (i.e.the United Nations
has twice chastised the province for this policy). Supporters of the current Catholic education system point out that it has existed, in some form or another, since Confederation, and that the Constitution Act, 1867
, enshrines the right to government-funded religious education to all Catholics. The opposition, however, argues that this is an appeal to tradition
and point to other provinces in Canada which amended the constitution to abolish Catholic school funding.
), with PC Party Leader John Tory
supporting an extension of funding to all religious schools, Dalton McGuinty's Liberals
and Howard Hampton's NDP supporting the status quo, and Frank de Jong's Greens
alone calling for elimination of public funding for all religious schools (including Catholic Schools).
Separate school
In Canada, separate school refers to a particular type of school that has constitutional status in three provinces and statutory status in three territories...
for Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, headquartered in North York. It is one of the two English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
boards of education in the City of Toronto, serving the former municipalities of Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, North York, York
York, Ontario
York is a dissolved municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is located northwest of Old Toronto, southwest of North York and east of Etobicoke, where it is bounded by the Humber River. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form...
, East York
East York
East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada...
, Toronto and Etobicoke. With over 91,000 students, the TCDSB is one of the largest school boards in Canada and second in North America (the other being New York City Department of Education
New York City Department of Education
The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. It is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,700 separate schools...
in the United States.)
History
Prior to 1998, the Metropolitan Separate School Board was the governing body of all publicly-funded Roman CatholicRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
schools in Toronto. In 1998 the board was reorganised, resulting in the separation of English and French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
schools, the latter of which are now part of the Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud
Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud
Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud is the Roman Catholic separate, French language school board for the South-Central region of Ontario. It is headquartered in North York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
. The resulting board was named the Toronto Catholic District School Board.
Schools
The Toronto Catholic District School Board governs 201 schools in the Toronto area: 30 secondary schools, 168 elementary schools, and 3 schools that combine both secondary and elementary grades.Trustees
| Ward | Trustee | Ward Name |
|---|---|---|
| Ward 1 | Peter Jakovcic | Etobicoke |
| Ward 2 | Ann Andrachuk | Etobicoke |
| Ward 3 | Sal Piccininni | North York |
| Ward 4 | Patrizia Bottoni | North York |
| Ward 5 | Mario Rizzo | North York |
| Ward 6 | Frank D'Amico | York York York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence... |
| Ward 7 | John Del Grande | Scarborough Scarborough, Ontario Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River... /North York |
| Ward 8 | Tobias Enverga Jr. | Scarborough Scarborough, Ontario Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River... |
| Ward 9 | Jo-Ann Davis | Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... |
| Ward 10 | Barbara Poplawski | Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... |
| Ward 11 | Angela Kennedy | East York East York East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada... /Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... |
| Ward 12 | Nancy Crawford | Scarborough Scarborough, Ontario Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River... |
| Student Trustee | Natalie Rizzo |
Combined schools
- Cardinal Carter Academy for the ArtsCardinal Carter Academy for the ArtsCardinal Carter Academy for the Arts is a Catholic arts high school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History:Throughout the 1980s the Metropolitan Separate School Board considered establishing a school for the visual and performing arts...
(Grades 7-12) - Francis LibermannFrancis Libermann Catholic High SchoolFrancis Libermann Catholic High School is a Catholic secondary school founded by Father John Geary in 1977. The school is named after the Venerable Father Francis Libermann. It is also known as Libermann High, FLCHS, FL, Francis Libermann, or Libermann...
(Grades 7-12) - St. Michael's ChoirSt. Michael's Choir SchoolSt. Michael’s Choir School is a boys' semi-private school located in downtown Toronto's Garden District, embodying a unique learning environment for its students. The school serves as a union between two distinct institutions: the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome and the Toronto...
(Grades 3-12)
Secondary schools
- Archbishop RomeroArchbishop Romero Catholic Secondary SchoolArchbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School is a Catholic high school located in York, Ontario, a municipality of Toronto. It belongs to the Toronto Catholic District School Board....
- St. Basil-the-Great
- Bishop AllenBishop Allen AcademyBishop Allen Academy is a high school located in the The Queensway – Humber Bay neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is managed by the Toronto Catholic District School Board.- History :...
- Bishop Marrocco/Thomas MertonBishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary SchoolBishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School is a Catholic secondary school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The school is part of the Toronto Catholic District School Board and serves about 1000 students in grades 9 to 12.- History :...
- Blessed Mother TeresaBlessed Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary SchoolBlessed Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School is a Catholic secondary school in Scarborough, a municipality of Toronto, Ontario. It is part of the Toronto Catholic District School Board.-History and tradition:...
- Brebeuf College SchoolBrebeuf College SchoolBrebeuf College School is a Roman Catholic all-boys' high school in Toronto founded by the Jesuits in 1963 and associated with the Presentation Brothers since 1984...
- Cardinal NewmanCardinal Newman Catholic Secondary SchoolBlessed Cardinal Newman Catholic High School was founded in 1973 when the St. Augustine's Seminary decided to use extra classroom space for the creation of a school as a result of its own declining student enrollment. The school was named after John Henry Newman, a 19th century English convert to...
- ChaminadeChaminade College SchoolChaminade College School is an all-boys Catholic secondary school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Founded in 1964 by the Archdiocese of Toronto, it opened its doors in September, 1965...
- Dante Alighieri
- Don BoscoDon Bosco Catholic Secondary SchoolDon Bosco Catholic Secondary, formerly Keiller Mackay Collegiate Institute, is a catholic secondary school in Etobicoke in the city of Toronto, Ontario and is located at the intersection of Islington Avenue and Dixon Road. The school is named after Saint John Bosco-History:Don Bosco Catholic...
- Father Henry CarrFather Henry Carr Secondary SchoolFather Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School is a Catholic high school administered by the Toronto Catholic District School Board in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada....
- Father John RedmondFather John Redmond Catholic Secondary SchoolFather John Redmond is a high school located in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada operated by the Toronto Catholic District School Board.-History:During a period of reorganization by public school boards across Ontario following a decision by the Ontario Government to extend funding of Catholic schools to...
- James Cardinal McGuigan
- Jean VanierJean Vanier Catholic Secondary SchoolJean Vanier Catholic Secondary School is a Roman Catholic high school located in the neighbourhood of Eglinton East at Midland Ave in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is named after Jean Vanier, the man who founded L'Arche in 1964.-The Man:...
- St. Joseph'sSt. Joseph's College SchoolSt. Joseph's College School is an all girls, Catholic high school in downtown Toronto. It turned 150 years old in the school year 2004-2005, and is renowned for its academic excellence.- History and tradition :...
- St. Joseph's Morrow Park
- Loretto AbbeyLoretto Abbey Catholic Secondary SchoolLoretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School is an all-girls Catholic high school in Hogg's Hollow neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. It was established by the Loretto Sisters in 1847 and is part of the Toronto Catholic District School Board....
- Loretto CollegeLoretto College SchoolLoretto College School is a Catholic high school for young women in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by the Loretto Sisters Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1915, whose founder, Blessed Mary Ward, advocated excellent education for young women so that they might “do great things”...
- Madonna
- Marshall McLuhanMarshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary SchoolMarshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School is an coeducational, non-semestered, Catholic high school in midtown Toronto. It was named after Marshall McLuhan, a Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication...
- St. Mary'sSt. Mary's Catholic Secondary SchoolSt. Mary's Catholic Secondary School is a Catholic secondary school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The school is part of the Toronto Catholic District School Board and serves about 800 students in grades 9 to 12.- History :...
- Mary WardMary Ward Catholic Secondary SchoolMary Ward Catholic Secondary School is a Roman Catholic secondary school of the Toronto Catholic District School Board in Scarborough, Ontario, a district of Toronto. Mary Ward is a unique centre of self-directed learning and a member of the Canadian Coalition of Self-Directed Learning...
- Michael Power/St. JosephMichael Power/St. Joseph High SchoolMichael Power/St. Joseph High School is a Toronto Catholic District School Board secondary school in the Etobicoke district of the city of Toronto, Canada....
- Monsignor Fraser College
- Monsignor Percy Johnson
- Neil McNeil
- Notre DameNotre Dame Catholic Secondary School (Toronto)Notre Dame High School is an all girls Roman Catholic secondary school in Toronto founded by the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame. Known for their dramatic arts, and specialties in math and science. Notre Dame is the "Sister School" of Neil McNeil High School located not far from Notre Dame...
- St. Patrick's
- Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II Catholic Secondary SchoolBlessed Pope John Paul II Catholic Secondary School is a publicly funded high school administered by the Toronto Catholic District School Board in Scarborough, which is the eastern part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History:Pope John Paul II's first students began in 1983 and graduated in 1987, but...
- Senator O'ConnorSenator O'Connor College SchoolSenator O'Connor College School is a Roman Catholic high school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is named after Senator Frank O'Connor, founder of the Laura Secord chocolate company and a generous Catholic philanthropist.- History :...
Elementary schools
- St. Agatha
- St. Agnes
- St. Aidan
- St. Albert
- All Saints
- St. Alphonsus
- St. Ambrose
- St. Andrew
- St. Angela
- Annunciation
- St. Anselm
- St. Anthony
- St. Antoine
- St. Augustine
- St. Barbara
- St. Barnabas
- St. BartholomewSt. Bartholomew Elementary School-History & Tradition:St. Bartholomew Catholic School Scarborough, Ontario, was opened in 1969. It was named after Bartholomew the Apostle.On June 5, 1994 St. Bartholomew Catholic School celebrated its 25th anniversary....
- St. Bede
- St. Benedict
- St. Bernardl
- Blessed John XXIII
- Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha
- Blessed Margherita of Cittá di Castello
- Blessed Sacrament
- Blessed Trinity
- St. Bonaventure
- St. Boniface
- St. Brendan
- St. Brigid
- St. Bruno
- Canadian Martyrs
- Cardinal Leger
- St. Catherine
- St. Cecilia
- St. Charles
- St. Charles Garnier
- Christ the King
- St. Clare
- St. Clement
- St. Columba
- St. Conrad
- Sts. Cosmas and Damian
- St. Cyrill
- D'Arcy McGee
- St. Demetrius
- St. Denis
- The Divine Infant
- St. Dominic Savio
- St. Dorothy
- St. Dunstan
- St. Edmund Campion
- St. Edward
- St. Elizabeth
- St. Elizabeth Seton
- Epiphany of Our Lord
- St. Eugene
- Father Serra
- St. Fidelis
- St. Florence
- St. Francis de Sales
- St. Francis of Assisi
- St. Francis Xavier
- St. Gabriel
- St. Gabriel Lalemant
- St. Gerald
- St. Gerard Majella
- St. Gregory
- St. Helen
- St. Henry
- Holy Angels
- Holy Child
- Holy Cross
- Holy Family
- Holy Name
- Holy Redeemer
- Holy Rosary
- Holy Spirit
- St. Ignatius of Loyola
- Immaculate Conception
- Immaculate Heart of Mary
- St. Isaac Jogues
- James Culnan
- St. James
- St. Jane Frances
- St. Jean de Brebeuf
- St. Jerome
- St. Joachim
- St. John
- St. John Bosco
- St. John the Evangelist
- St. John Vianney
- St. Josaphat (Ukr. CatholicUkrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern CanadaThe Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada is a Ukrainian Catholic eparchy that includes part of Canada. The current bishop is Stephen Victor Chmilar....
) - St. Joseph
- Josyf C. Slipyj (Ukr. CatholicUkrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern CanadaThe Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada is a Ukrainian Catholic eparchy that includes part of Canada. The current bishop is Stephen Victor Chmilar....
) - St. Jude
- St. Kevin
- St. Lawrence
- St. LeoSt. Leo Catholic Elementary School, MimicoSt. Leo is an elementary school in the former town of Mimico, Etobicoke, now a part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is operated by the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Recently the name of the school, originally St. Leo's Separate School, has been written as St. Leo Catholic...
- St. LouisSt. Louis Catholic Elementary School, MimicoSt. Louis is an elementary school in the former town of Mimico, Etobicoke, now a part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is operated by the Toronto Catholic District School Board.- History :...
- St. Luigi
- St. Luke
- St. Malachy
- St. Marcellus
- St. Margaret
- St. Marguerite Bourgeoys
- St. Maria Goretti
- St. Mark
- St. Martha
- St. Martin de Porres
- St. Mary
- St. Mary of the Angels
- St. Matthew
- St. Matthias
- St. Maurice
- St. Maximilian
- St. Michael
- Msgr. J. Corrigan
- St. Monica
- Mother Cabrini
- Nativity of Our Lord
- St. Nicholas
- St. Nicholas of Bari
- St. Norbert
- Our Lady of Fatima
- Our Lady of Grace
- Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Our Lady of Peace
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Our Lady of Sorrows
- Our Lady of the Assumption
- Our Lady of Victory
- Our Lady of Wisdom
- St. Paschal Baylon
- St. Paul
- St. Philip Neri
- St. Pius X
- Pope Paul VI
- Precious Blood
- Prince of Peace
- St. Raphael
- St. Raymond
- Regina Mundi
- St. Rene Goupil
- St. Richard
- St. Rita
- St. Robert
- St. Roch
- St. Rose of Lima
- Sacred Heart
- Santa Maria
- St. Sebastian
- Senhor Santo Christo
- St. Simon
- Stella Maris
- St. Stephen
- St. Sylvester
- St. Teresa
- St. Theresa Shrine
- St. Thomas Aquinas
- St. Thomas More
- St. Timothy
- Transfiguration
- St. Ursula
- Venerable John Merlini
- St. Victor
- St. Vincent de Paul
- St. Wilfrid
School Bus Transportation
The following service providers have been contracted by the school board:- Altug Transportation
- Attridge Transportation
- First Student CanadaFirst Student CanadaFirst Student Canada, a subsidiary of the British company FirstGroup and a division of FirstGroup America, is a major contractor of school bus services and public transit systems. The company provides services in Canada comparable to those delivered by sister companies First Transit and First...
- McCluskey Transportation Services
- Stock Transportation
- Toronto Transit CommissionToronto Transit Commission-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
Uniforms
Uniforms are mandatory for students at the secondary level and elementary starting in the Fall 2011. In 2010 some elementary schools starting implementing use of uniforms.Trustees
The TCDSB has 12 wards and 12 trustees and 1 student trustee (who is not entitled to vote). The Chair of the Board, the Vice-Chair and the Honourary Treasurer are elected at the inaugural meeting of the Board, and serve for one year. As of December 2010, Ann Andrachuk serves as chair and Jo-Ann Davis serves as vice-chair. Trustees are paid $18,500 a year in salary and can claim up to $18,000 for expenses.Enrolment of non-Catholics
While Catholic high schools are funded by the provincial crownMonarchy in Ontario
By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, Canada's monarchy operates in Ontario as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Ontario's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Ontario, Her Majesty in Right of Ontario, or the...
, making them open to any students who wish to attend, elementary schools do not have to enroll non-Catholic students. Many argue that the practice of fully funding separate schools exclusively for the Catholic faith is discriminatory to other religions (i.e.the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
has twice chastised the province for this policy). Supporters of the current Catholic education system point out that it has existed, in some form or another, since Confederation, and that the Constitution Act, 1867
Constitution Act, 1867
The Constitution Act, 1867 , is a major part of Canada's Constitution. The Act created a federal dominion and defines much of the operation of the Government of Canada, including its federal structure, the House of Commons, the Senate, the justice system, and the taxation system...
, enshrines the right to government-funded religious education to all Catholics. The opposition, however, argues that this is an appeal to tradition
Appeal to tradition
Appeal to tradition is a common fallacy in which a thesis is deemed correct on the basis that it correlates with some past or present tradition...
and point to other provinces in Canada which amended the constitution to abolish Catholic school funding.
Government funding
Recently, the issue of government funding for religious schools has become a major political issue (see Ontario general election, 2007Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
), with PC Party Leader John Tory
John Tory
John Howard Tory is a Canadian businessman, political activist, former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, former Member of Provincial Parliament and broadcaster...
supporting an extension of funding to all religious schools, Dalton McGuinty's Liberals
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
and Howard Hampton's NDP supporting the status quo, and Frank de Jong's Greens
Green Party of Ontario
The Green Party of Ontario is a political party in Ontario, Canada. The party is led by Mike Schreiner. It has never held any seats in the Ontario Legislative Assembly; however, the party did see significant gains in the 2007 provincial election, earning 8% of the popular vote with some candidates...
alone calling for elimination of public funding for all religious schools (including Catholic Schools).
Trustee spending scandal
The board was embroiled in controversy in May 2008 when a report commissioned by the provincial government uncovered spending abuses by certain trustees, including charges for meals, promotional materials, and prohibited benefits. Provincial supervisor Norbert Hartmann was appointed to oversee administration of the board as a result.See also
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of TorontoRoman Catholic Archdiocese of TorontoThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the Province of Ontario. Its archbishop is also the eccesiatical provincial for the dioceses of Hamilton, London, Saint Catharines, and Thunder Bay. The Archbishop is Thomas Christopher Collins, with...
- Toronto District School BoardToronto District School BoardToronto District School Board, also known by the acronym TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
- Conseil scolaire Viamonde
- Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-SudConseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-SudConseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud is the Roman Catholic separate, French language school board for the South-Central region of Ontario. It is headquartered in North York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada...