The Issues Facing Pickering Schools

Pickering is experiencing significant residential growth, particularly in Seaton and north Pickering.

DDSB has identified enrolment pressures resulting in additional portables, growth boundaries and overflow placements. In September 2026, Josiah Henson Public School in Pickering began the school year with 14 portables, and new registrations within its growth boundary area were directed to a nearby school with available space.

This isn’t simply about numbers. It can affect where children attend school, transportation, family schedules and the connection students have with their neighbourhood.

Growth in north Pickering will also increase pressure on secondary schools.

DDSB has stated that continued growth in north Pickering will bring additional students to existing secondary schools until a new secondary school can be funded in the Seaton area. New schools require Ministry of Education approval and capital funding through the provincial Capital Priorities process.

Students and education workers deserve schools where they feel safe.

Parents also deserve clear communication when serious incidents occur and confidence that concerns about bullying, harassment, threats and violence will be taken seriously.

Students with disabilities and special education needs should have meaningful access to the supports they require.

This includes students with ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, developmental disabilities and other exceptionalities and learning needs.

Parents should not feel that they have to fight through the system alone to understand accommodations and available supports.

Reading, writing and mathematics remain fundamental.

DDSB data should not simply be published — trustees should use achievement information to ask where students are succeeding, where students are struggling and whether interventions are actually working.

Teachers, educational assistants, early childhood educators, custodians, administrators and other education workers see the realities inside our schools every day.

Good governance requires listening to the people doing the work.

Families should understand what the school board is doing and know where to go when they have concerns.

Board reports and policies can be difficult for ordinary families to navigate.

Artificial intelligence and digital technology are changing education rapidly.

Schools need thoughtful approaches to AI, academic integrity, student privacy, cybersecurity, cellphone use, screen time and digital literacy.

Public education funding should be managed transparently and responsibly.

Trustees have a responsibility to review budgets, ask questions about major expenditures and examine whether programs are delivering their intended results.

There is more than one path to success. Pickering students should be exposed to opportunities involving: