After years of controversy, TDSB ends lottery system for specialty schools and programs, drawing praise, criticism

Applicants will now be selected based on academic achievement and a demonstration of knowledge and skills, which could include portfolios, auditions.

>Toronto’s public school board is scrapping the controversial application and admissions process that handed out spots in coveted specialty programs through a lottery, returning to a process based on merit.

>The move marks another major shift in how students gain entry to some of the city’s most sought-after high schools and programs focused on the arts, math and science. 

>The Toronto District School Board announced Tuesday it is ending lottery-based admissions, which had prioritized under-represented racial groups. 

>From now on, applicants will be selected based on their academic achievement and a demonstration of knowledge and skills, which could include portfolios, auditions and entry exams, depending on the program. No groups will receive priority and all applications will be reviewed by a team of central staff.

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>For many years, admission to these programs was decided by local schools and largely based on merit, with students vying for spots through auditions, entry exams, portfolios and personal essays. But critics argued that process favoured students from privileged backgrounds — those whose families who could afford private tutoring and training that gave them an edge. That concern was underscored by a 2017 University of Toronto study that found students in the TDSB’s arts programs were twice as likely to be white and disproportionately from wealthy households, compared with the wider student population. 

>In May 2022, trustees approved a new centrally controlled admissions policy, requiring only that students express an interest to be eligible. The goal was to remove barriers, improve equity and boost participation from under-represented groups so programs better reflected the TDSB’s demographics. Priority went first to Indigenous students; then 20 per cent of seats were for Black, Latin and Middle Eastern students. In math, science and technology programs, half the spots were reserved for girls. When applications exceeded available seats, as they often did, random selection was used.

>That change in admissions policy came as the board embarked on a secondary program review aimed at strengthening local high schools so students don’t feel the need to travel far to access specialized programs. The TDSB says it’s trying to “right size” its high schools, ensuring they have at least 1,000 students to maximize course offerings and operate more efficiently.

>Critics of the lottery called it unfair, saying highly motivated students could be shut out by chance, that program quality suffered when students entered with widely varying skill levels, and that it created new inequities for under-represented families whose children had worked hard to qualify. But supporters countered that random selection gave every student an equal shot, regardless of whether their parents could afford private lessons or tutoring, helping to level the playing field. 

>Since the idea of a lottery was floated — the first cohort admitted through random selection started Grade 9 in September 2023 — it has been dogged by controversy. Students staged protests, parents said they weren’t properly consulted, and even then-education minister Stephen Lecce last year voiced “serious concern,” calling for an “open and transparent policy review consultation.” 

>This past spring, the TDSB announced it was reviewing the policy and launching consultations that were to run until late November. But in June, the province took over the TDSB, citing financial mismanagement, and stripped trustees of their power. Supervisor Rohit Gupta was appointed to lead the board, and eventually cancelled the consultations, signalling that a policy update was in the works.

>On Tuesday, the board announced the update on its website, and emailed schools and parents.

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