Burlington families with a child heading into high school have until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30, to apply to the Halton District School Board's specialized programs. The board, which runs Burlington's public schools, opened applications Friday, Oct. 30, for Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), I-STEM and its new sports academy, APEX. The deadline comes a little earlier than last year, when AP and IB applications closed Dec. 2, 2025.
This is the first intake for APEX, short for the Academy for Athletic Performance and Excellence, which the board announced Sept. 10. It is a four-year, full-time program that combines classes and training for competitive student-athletes, especially those competing at provincial or national levels. The first students, in Grades 9 and 10, are scheduled to start in September 2027 at the board's new Oakville Secondary School, 4020 Sixth Line in Oakville. The campus is planned with three gyms, a fitness and weight room, a practice field and a domed turf field.
Closer to home, Aldershot School is taking I-STEM applications for students starting Grade 9 in the 2027-2028 school year. I-STEM is a four-year program built around engineering design, design thinking, entrepreneurial skills and global competencies. Students entering Grades 9 and 10 can also apply to AP-Prep, which readies them for the university-level AP courses and exams, and every board IB school runs a free IB Diploma Programme prep program in Grades 9 and 10.
The board says the programs are open to students across Ontario. Applications go through each program's page on hdsb.ca. Schools will tell applicants where they stand by Friday, Dec. 4, and students must accept a spot by Friday, Dec. 11.
