School registration frequently asked questions

During July and August you must go to the District Reception and Placement Centre and register for your new school.
** If there is no change in the catchment school with the change of address, you can inform the school when your child returns to school.

To change schools during the summer bring:

• your new rental agreement or property purchase agreement [with subjects removed],
• proof of your identity - WITH photo such as a passport or citizenship/PR card (note that a driver's licence is not adequate)
• your child's most recent report card.

DRPC staff will then process your application and put your child on the waitlist for the appropriate school. Please note that since schools are closed, you will likely not have confirmation of placement until some time in early September.

Your child can register for Kindergarten in the year that he or she turns 5 years of age. The Ministry of Education only funds Kindergarten children who are 5 years of age by December 31st of that particular year.

Vancouver schools will begin accepting cross-boundary applications from February 15 to March 1, 2012. Families who submit a cross-boundary application during this time will be informed of their child’s status by March 30, 2012.

Families should visit their neighbourhood school and pick up a cross boundary application form. On the form families are asked to indicate other schools to which they have submitted a cross boundary form.

If the requisite space and facilities are determined to be available, cross boundary applications will be accepted in the following priority:

• Students enrolled as residents during the current school year or accepted on a cross boundary application during the previous year;

• Siblings(when other siblings are attending the school concurrently); Students enrolled in on-site childcare programs, or whose childcare needs are provided within the attendance area;

• Students whose residence falls within the attendance areas of other Vancouver schools;

• Students whose residence falls outside the Vancouver School District

• Applications will be time and date stamped upon receipt at the school.

Families may only accept one cross boundary offer. Once a family agrees to accept an offer, their application for cross boundary at other schools will be nullified.

Waitlists will be established for cross boundary students not accepted, to be maintained until September 30.

Families can submit a cross boundary application after March 1; however, schools do not have an obligation to formally inform parents of their status. Cross-boundary applications submitted after March 1, 2012 will be processed on a first-come basis, accounting for space, program and staffing availability.

There is no deadline to register for your neighbourhood school for the current school year. However, you are encouraged to register early. Students who cannot be accommodated at their neighbourhood school will be placed on the school's waitlist.
** Registration for the next school year begins on the first business day of November and closes on the last business day of January of the current school year.

For those students born outside of Canada, we need to examine their immigration documents to make sure they are entitled to attend school in Vancouver. For those born outside of Vancouver, but elsewhere in Canada, we review their birth certificates, proof of address and other documents.

The District Reception and Placement Centre and schools do not usually accept applications by telephone, fax or e-mail as staff need to verify authenticity of documentation. Documents that are written in a foreign language need to be translated into English. Any missing documents delay the processing time for your file.

After you have registered your child at the Reception Centre and if all required documents are submitted, we will assess your child if needed, and then forward your child's file to your neighborhood school. Elementary schools usually need 2 to 5 working days to process each student's file, and secondary schools, 5 to 10 working days. If you have not heard from the school within these periods of time, phone or visit the school directly. If your neighborhood school is full, then the District Placement Administrator and the principal of your neighborhood school will find a place for your child at a nearby school. The principal of your neighbourhood school will call you and inform you of the placement as soon as it is ready. The District Reception Centre does not have placement information.

It usually takes 1 week for elementary school students and 2 weeks for high school students between the date of registration and the first day of school. See previous question for more details.

There is no need for a new registration in either of these cases. Going to the next grade will be done automatically by the school administration.

Yes, it will. Summer is a very busy time as DRPC is the only place open for registration for school. Therefore it is critical you bring your child or children, all your documents as listed on this website and be prepared to wait some time for your turn. In addition, The Settlement Workers in Schools [SWIS] will be in attendance and are available to help you with settlement issues after the registration process has been completed. We suggest you bring a healthy snack and water for all family members when you are registering during July and August.

If you have additional questions, please send us a note drpc@vsb.bc.ca or call the District Reception and Placement Centre at 604-713-5999. It is possible to get information in various languages on the voicemail. Please listen carefully and follow the instructions. Please speak slowly when leaving us your name, phone number and a short message. We will return your call as soon as possible.

You can apply to a Vancouver school to have your child accepted on an out-of-district Cross-Boundary Application form available at all schools. The school principal will determine if there is space and a program for your child. The deadline for applications is March 1.

School report cards or transcripts are very important documents used by school administrators to better understand the student’s educational background and to help them make appropriate decisions regarding programs, courses, activities and grade placement.

You can open a file for registration but Reception Centre staff will keep your child's file until they have seen all of the required documents. The registration is not complete and your child will not be able to attend school until all relevant documents have been submitted.

If you are renting an apartment, you can bring your Residential Tenancy Agreement. If you are renting a house, you must bring your rental contract and a copy of the most recent property tax document from the home owner.
If you own your house or apartment, the ownership documents will be sufficient.
If you live with a relative or a friend, we will give you additional documents that need to be completed.

If you are currently looking for a permanent place to live, your child can register for a Vancouver school if you bring a "proof of address" document. See previous question.

All documents must be translated into English before registering. Translations must be certified by a professional translator.

According to the Education Act, only children with a parent living in B.C. can attend school without paying fees. If you do not have one parent living with you full time, even if you are a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, please register at the International Education office at the Vancouver School Board. You will be required to pay tuition fees.

For your child to go to school without paying tuition:

1. the child's parent/guardian's study permit must be for at least 1 year, AND
2. the child's parent/guardian must be studying in a publicly funded institution, AND
3. the child's parent/guardian must be studying in a full-time program leading to a diploma or degree.

** Adult ESL Programs of study do not qualify.

For your child to go to school without paying tuition:

1. the child’s parent/legal guardian must have a valid work permit issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that is valid for a term of one year or more, AND
2. the name of the employer where the parent/legal guardian will be working must be stated on the permit, AND
3. the child’s parent/legal guardian must be residing in British Columbia.

Your child does not need his or her own study permit.

There are several answers to this question. We can copy only the portion of the adoption paper identifying you as the adoptive parent(s), or we can copy a Canadian passport or proof of Canadian citizenship.

All schools follow a curriculum required by the Ministry of Education and all secondary schools have a university entrance program. Universities accept students based on marks, not the name of a particular secondary school.

Students are usually placed in the grade that matches their age. This can change after the teacher has a chance to observe your child over a period of time and after discussion between the teacher, parent and school principal.

Your child can attend the neighborhood school if you live within that school's boundary and there is space and a program available. Your child could also attend a cross-boundary school (see Question 10).Click here to see the School Boundaries Map. Type in your postal code to find your school.

Boundary lines are in the middle of the road. If your house number is an even number, your school will be on the south or east side of the boundary.
If your house number is an odd number, your school will be on the north or west side of the boundary.

If a grade or school is full and your child's name is on the waiting list, he or she will be placed in the next closest school that has space and a program available. An elementary school student can transfer to the neighborhood school when space becomes available. Secondary school students can only transfer to the neighbourhood school at the end of the school year, provided there is space, resources and a program available to accommodate the student.

If your child has special learning needs, bring all available medical records, psycho-educational assessments and Individualized Education Plans to the Reception Centre when you register your child. If you do not have these records, we will ask you to sign a form giving us permission to request them.
We will send these records to a Special Needs Case Manager who will work with you to identify classes or support systems to help your child.

Your child's English language skills will be assessed at the Reception Centre or at school. Extra language support will be provided, if necessary, by staff at the school.

All elementary schools have staffs who offer ESL support services. Exactly how that will look varies from school to school. Your child's new school would be happy to explain their support program to you.

All secondary schools have ESL classes. They also have language support programs for students who are more advanced in their English language learning.

The Vancouver School Board has a variety of programs for gifted and talented learners. After observing your child for a period of time, teachers may discuss with you program changes that would better suit your child's ability.

Vancouver School District no longer has any semestered schools.

Students are required to fulfill the requirements set by the Ministry of Education for graduation.
If your child has not completed all the required courses necessary to graduate but has reached the age of 19, she or he can go to an Adult Learning Centre to finish the necessary courses.

If your child is not going to be at school on the first day, notify the school in writing. If the school does not know your plans, a space will only be held for your child for 2 days for an elementary school and 5 days for a secondary school. After that, your child’s name will be taken off the school's list.

School buses are available only for some students who have physical or mental limitations.

Click here to view the district calendar and contact your neighborhood school for any other non-enrolling school days.