DDSB enrolment growth is expected to outpace permanent classroom space into the 2030s, even as the Durham District School Board opens schools and plans construction.
The five-year pupil accommodation plan went to trustees September 22. Chief business officer Lisa Bianca said DDSB is operating nearly 400 portables in 2026-27.
New schools are filling quickly
Three elementary schools opened this year, while Heartwood Public School in Whitby is scheduled to welcome students in October. Whitby Meadows Public School was projected for slightly more than 600 pupils but opened with more than 1,000 students and 13 portables.
Growth in Pickering’s Seaton community and north Oshawa is producing concentrated increases, while infill adds pressure in established parts of Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa and Whitby.
More projects are planned
An Oshawa school at Whitelaw Avenue and Glenbourne Drive is targeted for September 2027. A west Whitby secondary school and a north Oshawa school are scheduled for September 2028.
Boundary reviews and fuller use of existing properties are also planned. DDSB may examine converting some single-track French immersion schools to dual-track operation, beginning in Ajax.
