DDSB launches online sign-ups for new students

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

New families to Durham Region have a brand new interactive tool to get their students registered for school.

Durham District School Board’s (DDSB) online registration process is live and ready to go.

Maureen Edwards, acting manager of applications and development for DDSB, says about 350 students have been registered online since late-May.

Online registration has been in the works for a while now, according to Edwards.

“It’s been on our roadmap for about two years. Last fall we got approval to move forward with it,” Edwards says.

Edwards says the online tool has been created to enable families new to DDSB to enter the school system seamlessly while providing parents with information about schools and boundaries while also giving a head start on registering new students without requiring an in-person visit to the school.

“Parents want this type of service…the secretaries are liking it as well. It’s been a good exercise when you get feedback like that,” Edwards says.

After searching for a home address or school, parents will be presented with boundary maps, which will give them a better understanding of which school their child is eligible to attend.

All information provided through the online process is secure and will be confidentially transferred to the school for review to complete the registration process.

The board’s website also offers a checklist of all items required for registration and forms  for parents who speak and write languages other than English.

Moving forward, Edwards says the board is planning to eventually offer online registration in multiple languages as well.

“It is part of the plan, French will be next language,” Edwards says.

In addition, Edwards says DDSB will also be rolling verification forms for current students into the online system.

The online registration tool can be found at www.ddsb.ca