Current Situation

Why we are concerned for Heydon Park's future

Heydon Park Secondary School is the TDSB’s only small, student-centred high school created specifically for young women, transgender, and non-binary students with special education needs. It has provided life-changing education for over 100 years.

It seems that the board is heading towards closing Heydon Park but we don't know if or when that will happen. The TDSB prevented grade 9 students from attending for the 2025/2026 year, and will be doing the same in 2026/2027. The students, parents/caregivers of students at Heydon Park Secondary school - and even the principal - have not been informed of the intentions of the board. Updates: As of Feb 5, 2026 we know that Heydon Park will be open next year. The TDSB contacted the Heydon Park principal on Feb 5, 2026 to say the school would be open for 2026/2027 but would still not be accepting grade 9 or 10 students. On Feb 25, 2026 all parents/caregivers received a letter from Superintendent Jennifer Chan reiterating what we had already been told. Still no news about the intentions of the board.

The TDSB is in the process of "right sizing" high schools - shifting towards high schools having at least 1,000 students - ostensibly to offer a breadth of programming. See https://www.tdsb.on.ca/High-School/Secondary-Program-Review Small schools do not fit this objective. And the students at Heydon Park SS would not do well in a large school environment. The current school location is centrally located allowing students to travel from all directions, and be close to placements. The school is large enough to be fully equiped for practical classes, while small enough to be a safely monitored site. 

There has been a moratorium on school closures since 2017. However, near the end of December 2025, the Minister of Education, Paul Calandra, indicated the possibility of closing surplus schools - including underutilized schools. https://www.thestar.com/politics/calandra-on-closing-school/article_6cfb9e17-cef1-4fe3- bfb4-71bed2344b29.html

Heydon Park SS is considered underutilized - it doesn't have as many students as the TDSB calculates the building can accomodate. The TDSB's 2023 revised capacity for Heydon Park is 252. Heydon Park currently has 120 students (no grade 9s). However, Heydon Park is in part, at least, "under-enrolled" due to not being adequately promoted by the TDSB. The school is not clearly listed on the TDSB website. It's the TDSB's best kept secret. If the school was adequately publicized it would have higher enrollment. There is a need for Heydon Park. In fact, Heydon Park enrollment was on the rise before the TDSB cut grade 9 in Fall 2025. Rather than waning enrollment, Heydon Park had actually increased its enrollment in the year prior to the TDSB cutting grade 9. Enrollment was projected at 114 for 2024/25 and 128 for 2025/26. So it’s a fallacy that enrollment decline is responsible for the board’s decision to cut grade 9 at Heydon. Enrollment projections are down to 100 for 2026-27 only because they’ve cut grade 9 and now 10 too. [For stats on Heydon Park enrollment and projections see Tabs 10-45 & 10-46 in this TDSB report: https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/0/aboutus/StrategyPlanning/LTPASSections/2024/School%20Data%20(abbreviated%20version).pdf  Also see page 13 in the following document: https://www.tdsb.on.ca/portals/_default/ARC_helpful_info_docs/Tab11LTPAS2019.PDF ] 

There was to be a Local Feasibility Study in August 2025 to discuss ways to increase utilization of the Heydon Park SS building - including incorporating another compatible school program, or using it for office space as was done previously at Kensington Community School when its closure was threatened. This meeting was cancelled when TDSB supervision started in June 2025.

A Pupil Accomodation Review was planned for 2025-2026 for Eastdale CI, Greenwood SS and Heydon Park SS.  See page 4 / Tab 3-2 in this Long-Term Program and Accommodation Strategy 2024-2033 document:   https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/0/aboutus/StrategyPlanning/LTPASSections/2024/Studies%20by%20Type.pdf Heydon Park SS is the only one of these schools that is Accessible.

In 2020, the TDSB conducted a Secondary Program Review. Based on that review, the possibility of designating Heydon Park SS a Congregated Special Education School was to be explored in 2020-2021. See page 131 / Appendix 4G   https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Leadership/Boardroom/Agenda-Minutes/Type/A?Folder=Agenda%2f20200520&Filename=6.1+(appendices).pdf It's not clear if that took place or what the outcome was.

For background, here is the Heydon Secondary School Budget https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Business-Services/Budgets-and-Financial-Statements/School-Budgets/SchoolNo/5710