Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB, known as English-language Separate District School Board No. 43 prior to 1999) is the separate school board that oversees 153 Catholic school facilities (125 elementary schools, 26 secondary or high schools and 2 continuing education schools or adult learning centers) throughout Peel Region (Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon) and Dufferin County (including Orangeville). It employs roughly 5,000 teachers; about 3,000 at the elementary level, and the remaining 2,000 at the secondary school and continuing education level.

Its headquarters is on Matheson Boulevard West in Mississauga. The board was previously known as the Dufferin-Peel Separate School Board (DPSSB) before 1998.

History

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is the successor to the Dufferin-Peel Separate School Board (), which was established in 1969 by the merger of eight small separate boards.

As of 1986 the Dufferin-Peel Separate School Board was Ontario's second largest Catholic school board. On January 1, 1998, the DPSSB was renamed to DPCDSB and its French schools within the board became part of the Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud.

By 1999 the district had a co-operative transportation service with the Peel District School Board. During that year its school operation costs were $4.65 ($ when adjusted for inflation) per square foot. The funding guidelines by a ministry were $5.20 ($ when adjusted for inflation).

Around the time of the DPSSB's existence, the board operated six francophone schools.

Financial difficulties and government supervision

The school board has experienced a significant drop in enrollment and recurring in-year deficits since 2018. It has had a growing overall deficit since 2021. In 2021 the Ontario Ministry of Education requested that the school board provide a multi-year financial recovery plan; however, the resultant plan did not meet the ministry's goals, and Deloitte LLP was appointed by the ministry to investigate the board's financial affairs. Deloitte's 2023 report showed a probable financial default and recommended that the ministry take over administration of the school board. The school board complied with the ministry's specific financial directives; however, its financial position continued to deteriorate and a second financial investigation, in June, 2025, showed an increasing accumulated deficit and a significant risk of financial default, and recommended ministry control of the board.

Rick Byers, a former Member of Provincial Parliament with a background in finance and auditing, was appointed supervisor of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board on 27 June 2025. All trustee decisions, other than denominational matters, will be made by Byers.

School bus transportation

In addition to local transit systems Brampton Transit and MiWay (Mississauga Transit) there are a number of transportation providers under contract for the DPCDSB:

Attridge Transportation
Cook Bus Lines
Denny Bus Lines
First Student Canada
Parkview Transit
Switzer-Carty Transportation

Schools

As of 1999, there is one dual DPCDSB-Peel District School Board Catholic-secular public school.

“Black Boys” book

The board encountered controversy in 2019 when a book, titled The Guide for White Women Who Teach Black Boys, was shown on the principal's desk. This sparked various online debates on the internet. The book, written by American researchers and published in 2017, provides help and advice for teachers to create learning environments in which black students feel nurtured and engaged.

References

External links