SEAC Delegation

A Heydon Park parent was a Delegate - had 5 minutes to speak - at the TDSB's Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) on Dec 8, 2025. Here is what they said:

Good evening, and thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is Jennifer, and I am here on behalf of the parents and caregivers of students at Heydon Park Secondary School. We are asking for your support in championing the sustainability and growth of a school that plays a vital and irreplaceable role within the TDSB.

Heydon Park is the TDSB’s only small, student-centred high school created specifically for young women, transgender, and non-binary students with special education needs. For more than a century, it has provided a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment for students who have often struggled – academically, socially, and emotionally – in large, traditional high schools and even in ISPs. Many arrive with histories of trauma, school avoidance, or years of feeling unseen. At Heydon Park, they finally find what every learner deserves: safety, community, and an education that meets them where they are. The transformation is real. Students who once felt defeated begin to thrive, rebuild confidence, and pursue post-secondary pathways they never imagined possible.

But today, that future is at risk.

This past September, Grade 9 students were turned away – we were told it was due to low enrollment, despite interest from potential students. We have now learned there will be no Grade 8 open house this year and that no Grade 9 or 10 students will be admitted for September 2026. Blocking new admissions places Heydon Park on a direct path toward closure. With no communication from the TDSB or provincial government, parents fear this unique school is being quietly wound down. We are asking this committee to help prevent that.

Low enrollment does not mean low need. It reflects low visibility. Heydon Park has two programs: the MID program and the Academic Pathway. While the MID program appears on the TDSB website, the Academic Pathway has been missing for at least five years. Many families searching for appropriate high-school options never see Heydon Park listed at all. Those who do find the school – often by chance – are stunned by the impact. When Grade 9 students were turned away this year, over 3,700 people signed a petition in support of the school. Former students shared that Heydon Park made it possible for them to graduate and pursue college or apprenticeships – outcomes that once seemed out of reach.

What sets Heydon Park apart is its inclusive, integrated model. Students in the MID program learn alongside their peers in academic classes, on field trips, and in hands-on programming such as culinary arts, robotics, hair and aesthetics, and the arts – all within a unified community. The school also addresses a well-documented systemic issue: girls and gender-diverse youth with disabilities are often diagnosed later than boys. By high school, many are already years behind. They need a setting designed to help them catch up, rebuild confidence, and learn at a pace that is achievable. Heydon Park provides exactly that.

For some students – especially those with MID – safety is not abstract. Research consistently shows they are at higher risk of sexual assault. The small, supportive, and well-supervised environment at Heydon Park allows students to focus on learning without fear.

Closing this school would also be fiscally short-sighted. At larger schools, these same students would require multiple additional staff, often including 1:1 support. Furthermore, without an environment where they can succeed, our kids are less likely to graduate and more likely to rely on long-term social supports, with reduced earning potential and poorer health outcomes. One small school prevents far greater long-term costs.

I want to share why this matters so personally to me. My daughter was not formally identified as having an exceptionality until Grade 12 – just two months ago – despite multiple diagnoses in Grade 1 and ongoing struggles beginning in Grade 2. She has not attended a full year of school since Grade 5. The pandemic played a role, but much of her school refusal stemmed from undiagnosed LDs and ASD.

She attended three other high schools and toured several more before we found Heydon Park by chance. She is almost 18 with only two high-school credits – yet at Heydon Park, everything has changed. She attends regularly. She travels independently to and from school - something unimaginable just 3 months ago. She is earning strong grades and is seen as a positive role model. The change has been life-altering for our family.

And she began thriving even before her formal identification. Because the Academic Pathway accepts all students, Heydon Park provides a lifeline to those who are struggling, falling through the cracks, or being passed ahead without the foundational skills they need – whether they have been identified or not.

We want other children to experience what our kids have found at Heydon Park. We want our children to graduate. And we want the TDSB to support – not dismantle – a school that has changed lives for generations.

We are asking this committee to advocate for transparency, for restored admissions, and for the long-term sustainability of a school Toronto cannot afford to lose.

Thank you