Markham Schools With IB and Specialized Programs: A 2026 Parent's Guide

For many Markham families, the school conversation starts long before the house tour. Which program fits my child? Where do we apply? Does our address change anything? Those questions often shape which street a family chooses.

This guide lists the specialized programs offered in and around Markham, who runs them, and how applications usually work. It does not rank schools. Every family's needs are different, and the best fit is the one that suits your child.

Michael John Lau is one of Markham's top real estate agents, with 430+ homes sold, a 5.0 rating across 81 Google reviews, and eXp ICON Agent awards in 2024 and 2025. Many of the families he works with are planning a move around a school program, so this guide reflects the questions they ask most.

Which Markham schools offer the IB program?

Milliken Mills High School is the YRDSB's IB World School in Markham. Students take an enriched program in Grades 9 and 10, then begin the two-year IB Diploma in Grade 11. Graduates earn both the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and the IB Diploma.

According to the YRDSB, students apply in the fall of Grade 8, and they apply to the IB school that serves their home address. Applications usually open in October, with information nights in the fall. The board says IB suits students who are motivated, curious and ready for a heavy workload, with less room for electives.

On the Catholic side, Father Michael McGivney Catholic Academy in Markham and St. Robert Catholic High School in Thornhill offer IB through the YCDSB. St. Robert uses an entrance test, and its application has separate steps for current YCDSB and non-YCDSB Grade 8 students. Students living within the Father Michael McGivney or Cardinal Carter boundaries apply to their own IB school instead of St. Robert.

Private options exist too. Town Centre Private Schools on Clayton Drive in Markham is an IB World School.

Where can students take Advanced Placement (AP) in Markham?

AP lets students take university-level courses in high school and write the AP exams, which some universities recognize for credit or advanced standing. In Markham, the YRDSB lists AP at Bur Oak SS, Markham District HS and Markville SS. Nearby, Thornlea SS in Thornhill also offers AP.

The YCDSB offers AP and AP-prep courses through its PACE program, with AP-prep in Grades 9 to 11 and AP courses in Grade 12.

Which Markham high school has a specialized arts program?

Unionville High School runs the YRDSB's Specialized Arts program in Markham. Students focus on dance, drama, music or visual arts, take two specialized arts credits each year, and can earn a Specialized Arts certificate with their OSSD.

Students apply in Grade 8 through the school that serves their attendance boundary. The board says no outside arts training is required. Transportation is not provided.

For younger students, the YRDSB runs a Grades 5 to 8 Specialized Arts program at Baythorn Public School in Thornhill, and the YCDSB runs a Grades 4 to 8 Elementary Regional Arts Program at St. Michael Catholic Academy in Thornhill. Neither requires an audition.

Unionville High School sits close to Main Street Unionville and Toogood Pond. See the Unionville home values page for recent pricing in the area.

How does the gifted program work in York Region?

The YRDSB screens every Grade 3 student each year, usually in late November or early December, starting with the Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test (CCAT). Students who meet the first cut move to a second screening. To be considered by the Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), a student must score at or above the 98th percentile on the General Ability Index of the WISC-V.

Identified students may stay in a regular class with support, or be placed in a full-time gifted class. At the secondary level, Markham District HS is the YRDSB's gifted program school in Markham.

The YCDSB runs its own screening for its PACE gifted program.

Where is French Immersion offered in Markham?

In the YRDSB, French Immersion starts in Grade 1. Senior Kindergarten immersion is not offered. Use the board's school locator to find the French Immersion school for your address. Popular schools can have waitlists and overflow schools. In high school, Markham students continue at Bill Hogarth SS or Pierre Elliott Trudeau HS.

The YCDSB also starts French Immersion in Grade 1, with applications in the winter before your child starts. In Markham, it has offered the program at St. Edward and St. Francis Xavier elementary schools, continuing at St. Brother André Catholic High School. A lottery may be used if there are more applicants than spaces.

What are SHSM, Dual Credit and the athlete program?

• Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM): a focused bundle of courses, certifications and work experience in a sector such as business, health, arts or technology. Offered at every YRDSB secondary school, with different sectors at each.
• Dual Credit: students earn high school and college credits at the same time. Offered at all YRDSB secondary schools.
• High Performance Athlete (HPA): timetable support for students who compete at the provincial, national or international level, train at least 15 hours a week with a certified coach, and reapply each year.
• STREAM focus (YCDSB): an inquiry and engineering-design program at St. Augustine Catholic High School in Markham.

Do any Markham schools run on a different calendar?

Yes. Bill Crothers SS follows a Balanced School Year that begins in early August. Markville SS runs an Early Start calendar that begins in the last week of August. Families moving in the summer should plan their closing date around these start dates.

When should you apply? A simple timeline

1. Grade 1 entry (winter before): register for French Immersion.
2. Grade 3 (late fall): YRDSB gifted screening for all students.
3. Grade 3 or 4 (winter): apply for elementary arts programs, which start in Grade 4 (YCDSB, St. Michael CA) or Grade 5 (YRDSB, Baythorn PS).
4. Grade 8 (October to December): apply for IB, Specialized Arts and other secondary programs. St. Robert's IB entrance test registration ran from November 18 to December 1 last year.
5. Grade 8 (January): HPA applications are typically due early in the new year.

Dates change each year. Confirm every deadline with the school board.

Buying a home in Markham around a school program

School boundaries are set by address and can change as new schools open. Before you buy:

• Check the exact address with the YRDSB or YCDSB school locator.
• Ask which programs require proof of address, and by what date.
• Plan your closing date around application deadlines and calendar start dates.
• Remember that program spaces can be limited. A good fit at a home school matters too.

To compare areas, start with the Markham neighbourhood guide, or see how buyer representation with Michael works. Families looking for more space may also like our guide to multi-generational homes in Markham.

Frequently asked questions

Does Markham have IB schools?

Yes. Milliken Mills High School offers the public IB Diploma through the York Region District School Board. Father Michael McGivney Catholic Academy in Markham and St. Robert Catholic High School in Thornhill offer IB through the York Catholic District School Board. Town Centre Private Schools in Markham is also an IB World School.

How do you apply to IB in York Region?

For the YRDSB, students apply in the fall of Grade 8 to the IB school that serves their home address. Applications usually open in October. YCDSB schools such as St. Robert run their own application and entrance test.

Which Markham high school has an arts program?

Unionville High School offers the YRDSB Specialized Arts program in dance, drama, music and visual arts. Students apply in Grade 8, and no outside arts training is required.

When does French Immersion start in York Region?

Both the YRDSB and the YCDSB start French Immersion in Grade 1. Register in the year before your child starts Grade 1, and check the board's locator for your French Immersion school.

How is a child identified as gifted in YRDSB?

The YRDSB screens all Grade 3 students with the CCAT. Students who meet the cut move to a second screening, and the IPRC considers students who score at or above the 98th percentile on the WISC-V General Ability Index.

Which Markham schools offer Advanced Placement?

The YRDSB lists AP at Bur Oak SS, Markham District HS and Markville SS. The YCDSB offers AP and AP-prep through its PACE program.

Does my address affect which program my child can join?

Often, yes. For YRDSB IB and Specialized Arts, students apply to the school that serves their home address. Confirm the boundary for any home with the board's school locator before you buy.

Keep reading

Sources

• YRDSB: Secondary School Programs at a Glance
• YRDSB: International Baccalaureate Programme
• YRDSB: Specialized Arts Programs
• YRDSB: Gifted Screening Procedure
• YRDSB: French Immersion
• YRDSB: High Performance Athlete Support
• YCDSB: Regional Programs
• St. Robert CHS: IB application process

Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of October 7, 2026 and may change. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract.