Michael John Lau · REALTOR® · Markham Schools · Updated October 2026
Best Schools in Markham: A Parent's Guide to Programs and Boundaries
Quick answer: There is no single best school in Markham. The best school is the one whose programs fit your child and whose boundary includes your address. Markham has 11 public (YRDSB) and 4 Catholic (YCDSB) secondary schools, with programs that include IB at Milliken Mills HS, Father Michael McGivney CA and St. Robert CHS; Arts Unionville at Unionville HS; French Immersion at Pierre Elliott Trudeau HS, Bill Hogarth SS, Thornlea SS and St. Brother André CHS; and athletics at Bill Crothers SS. Your address decides your home school, so confirm it with the board's school locator before you buy.
Start Here
How to Choose a Markham School
A school's name tells you very little. These five questions tell you a lot.
- 01
Start with your child
Arts, sport, languages, a faster academic pace or a quieter setting: write down what your child needs before you look at schools or homes.
- 02
Compare programs, not reputations
IB, Arts Unionville, French Immersion, AP, gifted classes and SHSM are offered at specific schools, and several are by application. The program finder below shows where each one is.
- 03
Confirm the address
Your home school comes from your address, not the neighbourhood name in a listing. Check every address in the YRDSB School Locator and the YCDSB Home School Locator.
- 04
Check caps and holding schools
Some schools are capped or closed to transfers, and some new areas are held at other schools until a new school opens. The school zones guide explains how to check.
- 05
Think about the whole path
Elementary, middle and secondary schools can be in different directions. Map the commute for every stage, including French Immersion, which often has its own school locations.
Program Finder
All 15 Markham Secondary Schools
Filter by program. Communities listed are nearby, not boundaries; always confirm an address with the board.
Public · YRDSB · Opened 1985
Unionville High School
201 Town Centre Blvd., Unionville
Arts Unionville, an audition-based regional arts program (dance, drama, music and visual arts) with Grade 9 entry. A STE(A)M program starts in Grade 9 for students approved to attend. SHSM in Arts & Culture, Business and Health & Wellness.
Communities nearby: Unionville, Village Green-South Unionville, Buttonville
Public · YRDSB · Opened 1990
Markville Secondary School
1000 Carlton Rd., Markham
Advanced Placement courses (Calculus, Chemistry, Microeconomics, European History, English, World Issues), a High-Performance Athlete program, one-to-one digital technology, and SHSM in Arts & Culture, Business, Environment, Health & Wellness and ICT.
Communities nearby: Markville, Raymerville, Bullock
Public · YRDSB · Opened 2007
Bur Oak Secondary School
933 Bur Oak Ave., Markham
SHSM in Business, Energy and Health & Wellness, plus Dual Credit and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program.
Communities nearby: Wismer, Greensborough
Public · YRDSB · Opened 2002
Pierre Elliott Trudeau High School
90 Bur Oak Ave., Markham
French Immersion for students in its French Immersion boundary, and SHSM in Arts & Culture, Business, Health & Wellness and ICT.
Communities nearby: Berczy, Cachet, Angus Glen
Public · YRDSB · Opened 1988
Milliken Mills High School
7522 Kennedy Rd., Unionville
International Baccalaureate: preparatory years in Grades 9 and 10, then the IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12, by application in Grade 8. SHSM in Business, Environment and Health & Wellness.
Communities nearby: Milliken Mills West, Milliken Mills East
Public · YRDSB · Opened 2017
Bill Hogarth Secondary School
100 Donald Sim Ave., Markham
Dual track, English and French Immersion. SHSM in Arts & Culture, Business, Construction, Health & Wellness, ICT and Transportation.
Communities nearby: Cornell
Public · YRDSB · Opened 1953
Markham District High School
89 Church St., Markham
SHSM in Arts & Culture, Construction, Health & Wellness, Horticulture & Landscape, Non-profit and Transportation.
Communities nearby: Old Markham Village, Sherwood-Amberglen
Public · YRDSB · Opened 1992
Middlefield Collegiate Institute
525 Highglen Ave., Markham
SHSM in Business, Health & Wellness, ICT and Transportation.
Communities nearby: Middlefield, Milliken Mills East
Public · YRDSB · Opened 2008
Bill Crothers Secondary School
44 Main St., Unionville
An application-based school open to students across York Region, built around athletics and long-term athlete development, with a High-Performance Athlete program.
Application-based; open to students across York Region.
Public · YRDSB · Opened 1968
Thornlea Secondary School
8075 Bayview Ave., Thornhill
French Immersion, Advanced Placement, a STEM certificate, and the application-based Academy of Creativity and Multimedia (ACAM). SHSM in Arts & Culture, Business, Health & Wellness and Transportation.
Communities nearby: Royal Orchard, Aileen-Willowbrook
Public · YRDSB · Opened 1955
Thornhill Secondary School
167 Dudley Ave., Thornhill
A Gifted Program in Grades 9 and 10 for IPRC-identified students, Advanced Placement at Grade 12, a High Performance Athlete program, and SHSM in Business, Health & Wellness and Transportation.
Communities nearby: Thornhill
Catholic · YCDSB · Opened 2001
St. Augustine Catholic High School
2188 Rodick Rd., Markham
A STREAM program and SHSM in Arts & Culture, Business, ICT and Non-Profit. The school is capped.
Communities nearby: Cachet, Buttonville
Catholic · YCDSB · Opened 1985
St. Brother André Catholic High School
6160 16th Ave., Markham
Advanced Placement and French Immersion (the York Catholic board's French Immersion secondary school for Markham), plus SHSM in Arts & Culture, Business, Health & Wellness and Transportation.
Communities nearby: Wismer, Greensborough
Catholic · YCDSB · Opened 1992
Father Michael McGivney Catholic Academy
5300 14th Ave., Markham
The IB Diploma Programme, plus SHSM in Arts & Culture, Construction, Health & Wellness, ICT and Non-Profit.
Communities nearby: Middlefield, Milliken Mills East
Catholic · YCDSB · Opened 1975
St. Robert Catholic High School
8101 Leslie St., Thornhill
IB Diploma with a Pre-IB application from Grade 8 (students in the Cardinal Carter or Father Michael McGivney boundaries cannot apply), and SHSM in Aviation & Aerospace and Health & Wellness. The school is capped.
Communities nearby: German Mills
Showing 15 of 15 secondary schools.
School Map
Where Markham's Secondary Schools Are
Tap a school for its address and official links. Use the checkboxes to show public or Catholic schools.
Programs at a Glance
Where Each Program Is Offered
| Program | Where in Markham | How students get in |
|---|---|---|
| International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma | Milliken Mills HS (public); Father Michael McGivney CA and St. Robert CHS (Catholic) | Application in Grade 8. YRDSB applicants apply within their assigned IB catchment; St. Robert's Pre-IB has its own application and entrance test. |
| Regional arts | Arts Unionville at Unionville HS; Academy of Creativity and Multimedia (ACAM) at Thornlea SS | Audition for Arts Unionville, Grade 9 entry; application for ACAM. |
| French Immersion (secondary) | Pierre Elliott Trudeau HS, Bill Hogarth SS and Thornlea SS (public); St. Brother André CHS (Catholic) | At YRDSB there is no application: students attend their local French Immersion school. |
| Advanced Placement (AP) | Markville SS, Thornlea SS, Thornhill SS and St. Brother André CHS | Through the school. |
| Gifted | Thornhill SS (Grades 9 and 10) | For students identified as gifted through an IPRC. |
| Athletics | Bill Crothers SS (application, open across York Region); High-Performance Athlete programs at Markville SS and Thornhill SS | Application-based. |
| Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) | Offered at nearly every Markham secondary school, in sectors from Business and ICT to Health & Wellness and Aviation | Through the school. |
School facts are from York Region District School Board and York Catholic District School Board websites, checked October 2026. Programs, boundaries and caps change; always confirm with the board and the school.
Elementary Years
French Immersion and Gifted Programs
Both English boards start French Immersion in Grade 1, with registration while your child is in Senior Kindergarten. At the public board, Grades 1 to 3 are taught entirely in French and time is split equally between French and English from Grade 4. Locations can differ from your English home school. See the full French Immersion guide.
The public board screens every Grade 3 student for giftedness. Students who pass the first screen are assessed further, and identification is confirmed through an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC). The Catholic board's gifted program, PACE, begins screening in Grade 4. YRDSB gifted program details.
Both boards serve every part of Markham. Your address sets a home school with each board. York Catholic's secondary admission policy lets students attend irrespective of religious affiliation; elementary rules differ, so check with the board. Many families compare both before choosing a street.
Markham is also served by two French-language boards, Conseil scolaire Viamonde and Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir. Children of French-language rights holders are admitted automatically; other families apply through an admission committee.
Schools and Your Home Search
What Buyers Should Know
For many Markham families, the school comes first and the house second. That makes sense, but it also creates expensive mistakes: a listing that says a home is "near" a school, a boundary that changed last year, or a new subdivision that is held at a school across town.
Michael John Lau has helped hundreds of Markham families buy and sell, and he builds the school check into the search itself. Before an offer, he has buyers run the address through the board locators, read the boundary notes, and call the school. After closing, families need proof of residence to register, such as a property tax bill, MPAC notice, or a purchase agreement with proof of closing at the public board.
Prices follow the home, the street and the market, not a school's name. Michael prices from recent sales on the same streets, which is why his neighbourhood home-value guides go street by street.
- Markville SS and Unionville HS: no enrolment cap, but closed to transfers.
- St. Augustine CHS and St. Robert CHS: capped schools at the Catholic board.
- New elementary schools proposed for Angus Glen South and Markham Centre in 2028, and an addition at Markville SS in 2027.
More School Guides
Markham Schools, Explained
Markham School Questions
There is no single best school. The best school is the one whose programs fit your child and whose boundary includes your address. Markham has 11 public (YRDSB) and 4 Catholic (YCDSB) secondary schools, with specialized programs such as IB at Milliken Mills HS, Father Michael McGivney CA and St. Robert CHS, Arts Unionville at Unionville HS, and French Immersion at Pierre Elliott Trudeau HS, Bill Hogarth SS, Thornlea SS and St. Brother André CHS.
Milliken Mills High School (YRDSB) offers IB preparatory years in Grades 9 and 10 and the IB Diploma in Grades 11 and 12. Father Michael McGivney Catholic Academy and St. Robert Catholic High School (YCDSB) also offer the IB Diploma. All are application-based, with applications in Grade 8.
Use the York Region District School Board School Locator for public schools and the York Catholic District School Board Home School Locator for Catholic schools. Boundaries are reviewed and can change, and some new areas are held at other schools, so confirm with the school before you buy.
Sometimes. At YRDSB, transfer decisions are at the discretion of the principal and superintendent, and transportation is the parents' responsibility. For 2026-27, Markville SS and Unionville HS are closed to transfers. At YCDSB, out-of-boundary requests are subject to approval and not guaranteed.
York Catholic's secondary admission policy allows students to attend irrespective of religious affiliation, with the home school set by the parent or guardian's address. Elementary eligibility rules differ, so check with the board.
Family demand around well-known programs is real, but prices are set by the home, the street and the market. Michael John Lau prices homes from recent comparable sales on the same streets, and helps buyers confirm the school for an address before they make an offer.
School-Smart Buying · Free · No Obligation
Find a Home That Fits Your Family's School Plan
Tell Michael which programs matter to you. He will help you shortlist streets, confirm schools with the boards, and find the right home.
Call (416) 700-0286Email info@callmikelau.com
Proof Read the case studies
Michael will be in touch within 24 hours. For anything urgent, call (416) 700-0286.
School facts are from York Region District School Board and York Catholic District School Board websites, checked October 2026. Programs, boundaries and caps change; always confirm with the board and the school. School boundaries are set by the school boards; neither Michael John Lau nor this page can confirm which school serves an address. Michael John Lau is a licensed REALTOR® with eXp Realty, Luxury Division (Licence #4784577), serving Markham and York Region, Ontario.