Photo: Gogerr · CC BY-SA 4.04 school boards overlap in St. Catharines, covering Ontario’s four systems
The largest is DSB Niagara, with 37; beside it are Niagara CDSB, CS catholique MonAvenir and CS Viamonde. Of the 55 with results, 44 sit in the upper two fifths in Ontario. Counting a 3 km margin, St. Catharines has 48 elementary schools, 10 secondary schools and 4 alternative or adult schools, for 21,825 students.
What stands out about St. Catharines’s schools
Results on the rise
At 33 tested schools out of 55, the three-year changes lean upward; Burleigh Hill Public School, Grapeview Public School and Prince of Wales Public School gained most often. Results ↓
The strongest results
The area’s best results are at Burleigh Hill Public School (elementary), in the top fifth in Ontario. Results ↓
The comparisons are with the province’s schools, never across provinces.
Which of the 4 boards runs which school
Every board or service centre with a school in the area, and its schools.
Ontario funds four systems side by side, and here all four overlap: a family picks English or French, public or Catholic, and each choice has its own board and its own schools.
| Board | System | Schools | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSB NiagaraEden, Sir Winston Churchill, Governor Simcoe, St Catharines Collegiate Institute and Vocational, Thorold, Harriet Tubman, Laura Secord, Jeanne Sauve … | English public | 37 | 14,610 |
| Niagara CDSBDenis Morris Catholic, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic, Holy Cross Catholic, Saint Francis Catholic, Canadian Martyrs Catholic, St Alfred Catholic, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic, St Anthony Catholic … | English Catholic | 22 | 6,800 |
| CS catholique MonAvenirÉÉC Immaculée-Conception, ÉÉC Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys-St.Cath | French Catholic | 2 | 255 |
| CS ViamondeL'Héritage | French public | 1 | 160 |
Boards as Ontario’s list names them (its short forms: DSB, CDSB, CS).
How St. Catharines’s schools do on Ontario’s tests
EQAO’s Grade 3, 6 and 9 assessments and the literacy test, 2024-25: each school against every school in Ontario.
Its School Grade is A: it compares these results with the other towns of the province.
The area’s schools by fifth of the province
Each school’s band is the average of its measures’ fifths. The mark shows an even fifth of the area’s schools.
| Measure | Schools | Middle here | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 reading | 43 | 88% | 76% |
| Grade 3 writing | 43 | 83% | 65% |
| Grade 3 math | 43 | 80% | 65% |
| Grade 6 reading | 42 | 95% | 88% |
| Grade 6 writing | 42 | 93% | 86% |
| Grade 6 math | 42 | 69% | 51% |
| Grade 9 math | 10 | 69% | 55% |
| Literacy test (OSSLT), first try | 10 | 90% | 85% |
On Grade 6 math the area runs ahead, 69% against 51% in Ontario. Above the middle on 8, below on 0: that is the 8 measures.
Every school’s results (55)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Burleigh Hill Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 100% · G3 writing 100% · G3 math 100% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 87% | Top fifth |
| Gracefield Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 92% · G3 writing 88% · G3 math 83% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 92% | Top fifth |
| Grapeview Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 97% · G3 writing 88% · G3 math 85% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 73% | Top fifth |
| Oakridge Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 93% · G3 writing 93% · G3 math 86% · G6 reading 98% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 81% | Top fifth |
| Prince of Wales Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 91% · G3 writing 87% · G3 math 91% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 77% | Top fifth |
| Connaught Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 90% · G3 writing 73% · G3 math 83% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 86% | Top fifth |
| E I McCulley Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 95% · G3 writing 91% · G3 math 77% · G6 reading 96% · G6 writing 96% · G6 math 76% | Top fifth |
| Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 82% · G3 math 97% · G6 reading 97% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 81% | Top fifth |
| Parnall Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 95% · G3 writing 86% · G3 math 81% · G6 reading 97% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 69% | Top fifth |
| Port Weller Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 100% · G3 writing 87% · G3 math 84% · G6 reading 97% · G6 writing 97% · G6 math 59% | Top fifth |
| Power Glen Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 89% · G3 writing 84% · G3 math 86% · G6 reading 93% · G6 writing 98% · G6 math 80% | Top fifth |
| Dalewood Public SchoolElementary · Grades 1–8 | G3 reading 89% · G3 writing 80% · G3 math 86% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 80% | Top fifth |
| Pine Grove Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 84% · G3 writing 82% · G3 math 87% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 93% · G6 math 73% | Top fifth |
| St Ann Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 88% · G3 writing 85% · G3 math 85% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 90% · G6 math 69% | Top fifth |
| Westdale Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 84% · G3 writing 100% · G3 math 88% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 63% | Top fifth |
| Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 86% · G3 writing 74% · G3 math 77% · G6 reading 98% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 71% | Second fifth |
| Carleton Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 80% · G3 writing 85% · G3 math 80% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 93% · G6 math 75% | Second fifth |
| DSBN AcademySecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 71% · OSSLT 91% | Second fifth |
| Eden High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 73% · OSSLT 91% | Second fifth |
| Ferndale Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 90% · G3 writing 90% · G3 math 93% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 93% · G6 math 66% | Second fifth |
| Lincoln Centennial Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 94% · G3 writing 85% · G3 math 91% · G6 reading 84% · G6 writing 94% · G6 math 68% | Second fifth |
| Prince Philip Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 100% · G3 writing 95% · G3 math 98% · G6 reading 87% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 67% | Second fifth |
| Richmond Street Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 96% · G3 writing 95% · G3 math 89% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 85% · G6 math 81% | Second fifth |
| Saint Francis Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 71% · OSSLT 88% | Second fifth |
| Sir Winston Churchill Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 71% · OSSLT 91% | Second fifth |
| St Anthony Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 88% · G3 writing 92% · G3 math 88% · G6 reading 91% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 57% | Second fifth |
| St James Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 80% · G3 writing 80% · G3 math 72% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 67% | Second fifth |
| Thorold Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 66% · OSSLT 92% | Second fifth |
| École élémentaire L'HéritageElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 87% · G3 writing 87% · G3 math 87% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 82% · G6 math 73% | Second fifth |
| Lockview Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 70% · G3 math 68% · G6 reading 97% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 77% | Second fifth |
| St Alfred Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 93% · G3 writing 93% · G3 math 81% · G6 reading 96% · G6 writing 93% · G6 math 43% | Second fifth |
| St Theresa Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 94% · G3 writing 71% · G3 math 76% · G6 reading not reported · G6 writing not reported · G6 math not reported | Second fifth |
| Edith Cavell Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 91% · G3 writing 91% · G3 math 70% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 93% · G6 math 36% | Second fifth |
| Jeanne Sauve Public SchoolElementary · Grades 1–8 | G3 reading 84% · G3 writing 72% · G3 math 77% · G6 reading 91% · G6 writing 93% · G6 math 72% | Second fifth |
| Assumption Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 100% · G3 writing 100% · G3 math 58% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 88% · G6 math 82% | Second fifth |
| DSBN AcademyElementary · Grades 6–8 | G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 97% · G6 math 54% | Second fifth |
| Governor Simcoe Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 66% · OSSLT 88% | Second fifth |
| St Catharines Collegiate Institute and Vocational SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 74% · OSSLT 85% | Second fifth |
| St Denis Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 81% · G3 writing 76% · G3 math 62% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 94% · G6 math 50% | Second fifth |
| Applewood Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 76% · G3 writing 65% · G3 math 59% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 88% | Second fifth |
| St Peter Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 89% · G3 writing 68% · G3 math 58% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 84% · G6 math 79% | Second fifth |
| Prince of Wales Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 58% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 53% | Second fifth |
| St Christopher Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 75% · G3 writing 75% · G3 math 75% · G6 reading not reported · G6 writing not reported · G6 math not reported | Second fifth |
| Woodland Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 93% · G3 writing 71% · G3 math 57% · G6 reading not reported · G6 writing not reported · G6 math not reported | Second fifth |
| Denis Morris Catholic High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 50% · OSSLT 92% | Middle fifth |
| Laura Secord Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 63% · OSSLT 85% | Middle fifth |
| William Hamilton Merritt Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 76% · G3 writing 56% · G3 math 60% · G6 reading 96% · G6 writing 93% · G6 math 59% | Middle fifth |
| Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 80% · G3 writing 78% · G3 math 73% · G6 reading 86% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 36% | Middle fifth |
| Harriet Tubman Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 71% · G3 writing 67% · G3 math 60% · G6 reading 84% · G6 writing 90% · G6 math 60% | Middle fifth |
| St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 83% · G3 writing 83% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 65% · G6 writing 82% · G6 math 35% | Middle fifth |
| Westmount Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 70% · G3 writing 30% · G3 math 45% · G6 reading 96% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 61% | Middle fifth |
| ÉÉC Immaculée-ConceptionElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 71% · G3 math 65% · G6 reading 85% · G6 writing 38% · G6 math 31% | Middle fifth |
| Holy Cross Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 55% · OSSLT 80% | Fourth fifth |
| St Nicholas Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 78% · G3 writing 61% · G3 math 33% · G6 reading 82% · G6 writing 82% · G6 math 18% | Fourth fifth |
| ÉÉC Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys-St.CathElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading not reported · G3 writing not reported · G3 math not reported · G6 reading 73% · G6 writing 40% · G6 math 27% | Bottom fifth |
Ontario Ministry of Education, School Information Finder 2024–25 (EQAO results; N/R where groups are too small). Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Where the 62 schools in and around St. Catharines are
Each pin is a school, coloured by the system that runs it, sized by its students where the province publishes them.
Points from the provincial lists.
Schooling in English and French around St. Catharines
The language each school teaches in, against every school in Ontario.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in Ontario.
The 3 French-language schools are École élémentaire L'Héritage, ÉÉC Immaculée-Conception and ÉÉC Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys-St.Cath; CS Viamonde and CS catholique MonAvenir runs the public ones.
Section 23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives French-speaking parents the right to French-language schooling for their children, through the French-language boards.
Who runs St. Catharines’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: English public, English Catholic, French-language, and independent or other.
Grouped by system: English public 37, English Catholic 22 and French-language 3.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
How children get a place in St. Catharines
The neighbourhood school
Where a family lives settles it: the board’s map ties every address to one school, and a seat anywhere else waits on spare room.
Catholic schools
Families who aren’t Catholic can usually choose a Catholic high school, though rarely a Catholic elementary one.
French-language schools
French-language boards admit the children of rights-holders under section 23 of the Charter (a parent whose first language is French, or who was schooled in French in Canada), and may admit others through an admissions committee.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 62 schools in and around St. Catharines
Show all 48 elementary schools
High schools within reach of St. Catharines
Every secondary school within 15 km of the town, nearest first.
15 secondary schools are within 15 km: 10 English public and 5 English Catholic. 0.7 km away, St Catharines Collegiate Institute and Vocational School is the nearest.
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Catharines Collegiate Institute and Vocational SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | DSB Niagara | English public | Second fifth | 700 | 0.7 km |
| Laura Secord Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | DSB Niagara | English public | Middle fifth | 635 | 1.8 km |
| Eden High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | DSB Niagara | English public | Second fifth | 1,080 | 2.5 km |
| Saint Francis Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Niagara CDSB | English Catholic | Second fifth | 505 | 2.8 km |
| Sir Winston Churchill Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | DSB Niagara | English public | Second fifth | 1,025 | 3.4 km |
| Denis Morris Catholic High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Niagara CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 930 | 3.5 km |
| Governor Simcoe Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | DSB Niagara | English public | Second fifth | 765 | 3.5 km |
| Holy Cross Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Niagara CDSB | English Catholic | Fourth fifth | 655 | 3.9 km |
| DSBN AcademySecondary · Grades 9–12 | DSB Niagara | English public | Second fifth | 225 | 3.9 km |
| Thorold Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | DSB Niagara | English public | Second fifth | 700 | 5.7 km |
All 15 secondary schools
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Paul Catholic High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Niagara CDSB | English Catholic | Second fifth | 790 | 12 km |
| A N Myer Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | DSB Niagara | English public | Second fifth | 1,155 | 12 km |
| Westlane Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | DSB Niagara | English public | Middle fifth | 825 | 13 km |
| Saint Michael Catholic High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Niagara CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 1,190 | 14 km |
| Stamford CollegiateSecondary · Grades 9–12 | DSB Niagara | English public | Middle fifth | 805 | 14 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Alternative, adult and other schools around St. Catharines
Other schooling here: alternative programs at Lifetime Learning Centre Secondary School, Pope Francis Catholic Secondary School and Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Secondary School; online learning through Niagara Catholic Online Secondary School. Their cards ↑
The kinds as the provincial lists give them (alternative, adult and continuing education, online, provincial schools).
Towns its size in Ontario
Similar-sized towns and their schools within 3 km, by population.
| Town | Population | Schools | Students | French | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakville | 243,107 | 107 | 56,580 | 10 | 1.2 km |
| … | |||||
| Cambridge | 165,354 | 64 | 29,625 | 5 | 1.5 km |
| Whitby | 162,413 | 82 | 47,640 | 5 | 0.7 km |
| Guelph | 160,760 | 54 | 24,520 | 2 | 1.1 km |
| Milton | 157,345 | 96 | 55,790 | 6 | 0.2 km |
| St. Catharines | 153,865 | 62 | 21,825 | 3 | 0.7 km |
| Kingston | 149,527 | 61 | 21,145 | 6 | 0.6 km |
| Waterloo | 142,450 | 58 | 33,340 | 2 | 0.7 km |
| Ajax | 141,111 | 67 | 35,990 | 4 | 1 km |
| Brantford | 123,521 | 50 | 20,085 | 1 | 1.2 km |
| … | |||||
| Newmarket | 95,763 | 48 | 27,000 | 2 | 2.2 km |
Set against 21 others, 10 have more schools in reach. A school in French is nearby in 22 towns of 22.
Populations from Statistics Canada; schools from the provincial lists, in or within 3 km of each town.
Schools in the towns around St. Catharines
Each town’s schools in or within 3 km of its outline; distances as the crow flies.
| Town | Schools | French | Catholic or independent | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Catharines | 62 | 3 | 24 | 0.7 km |
| Thorold 7.3 km | 42 | 3 | 18 | 2.3 km |
| Niagara-on-the-Lake 11 km | 37 | 1 | 14 | 8.4 km |
| Niagara Falls 14 km | 48 | 3 | 21 | 0.4 km |
| Beamsville 15 km | 11 | 0 | 3 | 7.5 km |
| Pelham 16 km | 20 | 3 | 10 | 1.2 km |
It has more schools than any of its 5 neighbours.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Boards and systems. Boards come in one language each, and where the province funds Catholic schools, as public or Catholic; independent schools stand outside them.
- The year. The province’s school list, 2024-25.
- What isn’t here. Ontario’s private schools aren’t in the open list; no province publishes inspection grades.
- Bands, not ranks. Fifths are worked out among every Ontario school with a result on that measure, then averaged per school.
- The kinds of school. Each school is elementary, secondary or all-grade by the grades it teaches; alternative, adult and online programs sit in a group of their own.
- Which schools count. Inside St. Catharines’s boundary, or no more than 3 km outside it: that is which schools are counted.
Questions about schools in St. Catharines
Which boards run the schools in St. Catharines?
By number of schools: DSB Niagara (37), Niagara CDSB (22), CS catholique MonAvenir (2) and CS Viamonde (1).
How do I get a place at a school in St. Catharines?
Enrolment goes through the board; schools outside your area take students when they have room.
How many schools are there in St. Catharines?
The town holds 52 of them; 10 more are within 3 km of its outline.
Is there a French-language school in St. Catharines?
Yes, there are French-language schools: École élémentaire L'Héritage, ÉÉC Immaculée-Conception and ÉÉC Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys-St.Cath.
Sources: Ontario Ministry of Education, School Information Finder 2024–25 and school contact list (Open Government Licence – Ontario) · map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).