Seaton #1 Catholic School Boundary Review Overview
On October 24, 2016, the Board of Trustees approved the final boundary revisions for St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School, St. Wilfrid Catholic School and the Unnamed Seaton #1 Catholic School, as well as approving that students in the Unnamed Seaton #1 Catholic school boundary would be held at St. André Bessette Catholic school on an interim basis.
On November 23, 2021, the Ministry of Education approved funding for the new Unnamed Seaton #1 Catholic elementary school, with a childcare. Since the award, board staff have been working with the assigned architect on the design, as well as finalizing the purchase of the land from the developer. The site plan approval process and building permit with the City of Pickering has also been an extensive process which is now complete.
Board staff submitted a request for additional funding and an Approval to Proceed (ATP) to the Ministry of Education at the end of 2024, with revisions requested by Ministry staff in February. The final approval to proceed with additional funding was announced on July 30, 2025. It included the use of proceeds of disposition to include a Community Hub, which will help bring families in the community into the school and could lead to additional enrolment. The project was tendered in August, and is expected to be awarded for a construction start in October 2025 (anticipated).
Due to the time that has elapsed since the 2016 report, board staff identified a need to review the original boundary changes for the Unnamed Seaton #1 Catholic School. There has also been the added pressure of declining enrolment in Ajax, which is outlined in the October 28, 2024, Board report titled “Ajax schools – Program and Boundary Study Report” to the Board of Trustees where trustees approved to postpone a boundary review.
As such, on September 22, 2025, the following motions were passed by the Durham Catholic Board of Trustees:
- THAT the Durham Catholic District School Board approves ‘in Principle’ the proposed boundary revisions to the New Unnamed Seaton #1 Catholic Elementary School, St. Elizabeth Seton CS, and St. Wilfrid CS outlined in the report dated September 22, 2025.
- THAT the Durham Catholic District School Board approves ‘in Principle’ the proposed boundary revisions for St. André Bessette Catholic School, St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School, and St. Jude Catholic Elementary School, that will be impacted by the opening of the New Unnamed Seaton #1 Catholic Elementary School as outlined in the report dated September 22, 2025.
- THAT the Durham Catholic District School Board approves ‘in Principle’ the proposed boundary revisions for Notre Dame and Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic Secondary Schools, that will be impacted by the proposed in-principle boundary changes associated with the opening of the New Unnamed Seaton #1 Catholic Elementary School as outlined in the report dated September 22, 2025.