Approved Boundary Changes for St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School

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- Dec 17, 2025

Dear Parents and Guardians,


We are pleased to inform you that the revised boundaries for the new Seaton #1 Catholic Elementary School and changes to select school boundaries in Ajax and Pickering were approved by the Durham Catholic District School Board of Trustees at the December 15, 2025, Regular Board Meeting. These changes were developed through a comprehensive review process and reflect feedback gathered from families during the consultation period.

We sincerely thank you for your participation and input throughout this process. Your engagement was invaluable in helping us make decisions that best support our students and community.

Please note: No current St. Elizabeth Seton students (as of September 2025) will be affected by the boundary revisions.

Boundaries, Maps and Implementation

There are three approved recommendations as a result of the new Seaton #1 Catholic School construction. These include the adjustment of Seaton #1 Catholic School Boundary (recommendation #1), a boundary adjustment to St. André Bessette Catholic School, St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School, and St. Jude Catholic School (recommendation #2), and a boundary adjustment to Notre Dame and Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic Secondary Schools to align with the proposed changes in recommendations #1 and #2 (recommendation #3). 

 St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School Implementation

  • A boundary change is being implemented to maintain a balanced school population and programming at all three Ajax schools (St. Catherine of Siena, St. André Bessette and St. Jude) that were part of the study.
  • The boundary change will come into effect in September 2027 (anticipated), after the new Seaton #1 Catholic School opens.
  • The St. Catherine of Siena boundary will include study areas that are currently part of the St. Jude boundary in September 2027 (anticipated) and remove study areas from St. Catherine of Siena and incorporate them into the St. André Bessette boundary.
  • Students in the impacted study areas attending St. Catherine of Siena will be redirected to St. André Bessette. Students within the St. Jude study areas will become part of St. Catherine of Siena’s boundary will be redirected to attend St. Catherine in September 2027 (anticipated).
  • Grade 7 students enrolled at St. Catherine of Siena and St. Jude in June 2027 will either attend the school associated with their new boundary or remain at their current school for the 2027-2028 school year when they are in Grade 8. A survey of parents of Grade 7 students will be conducted in the 2026-2027 school year to determine whether they will graduate from their current school or transition to the new school. The majority preference will guide the decision, along with program viability.
  • Any new student moving into the new St. André Bessette, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Jude boundary after January of 2027 will be directed to the Catholic school associated with the new boundary.
  • For students who are within the new St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School boundary, the secondary school will be Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School.
  • Transportation will continue to follow the Board’s  Transportation Policy (PO429).  

View the proposed boundary map on our website.

Looking ahead, we are excited to share that further information and opportunities for engagement regarding the naming of the new school will be provided to families in early 2026. We look forward to continuing this collaborative process.

For ongoing updates, please visit our Seaton #1 and Changes to Ajax and Pickering Schools Study webpage at dcdsb.ca/SeatonBoundaryReview.

Sincerely,

Katharine Stevenson                  Scott Grieve
Superintendent of Education     Superintendent of Business, Finance & Facilities