Burlington Schools Guide

Burlington Schools: Rankings and Catchments

By Chris Ouzas, Broker, Michael Ouzas Real Estate Team, Royal LePage Signature Realty. Last updated September 2026.

Key Takeaways

• Burlington's public schools belong to the Halton District School Board (HDSB), its Catholic schools to the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB). Not the Hamilton-Wentworth boards next door.
• Pauline Johnson Public School posts the strongest elementary score in this guide, 9.1 out of 10 and 97th of 3,047, in the Fraser Institute's Report Card on Ontario's Elementary Schools 2025. Nelson High School leads the secondary side at 8.2, ranking 65th of 747.
• Three HDSB boundary reviews are moving through the city at once: a newly started elementary review around Alton Village, Millcroft, and The Orchard (any changes from September 2028), and an open secondary review deciding how Downtown Burlington and Southeast Burlington split between Burlington Central School and Nelson High School.
• Robert Bateman High School closed in 2020. Its students moved to Nelson High School, and the New Street building is now most of the way through becoming the Robert Bateman Community Centre.
• Run every address through HDSB's Find My Local School tool and HCDSB's Find Your School tool before you buy. Several parts of the city are mid boundary review right now.

Below is every school we can verify against HDSB and HCDSB board pages and the Fraser Institute's 2025 report cards, organized to match our Burlington neighbourhood guides.

Aldershot

Aldershot's school setup is unusual before you even get to rankings. On the public side, HDSB's elementary options include Glenview Public School, 6.1 out of 10 and ranked 1,495th of 3,047 in the Fraser Institute's Report Card on Ontario's Elementary Schools 2025, Maplehurst Public School at 7.4 (643rd), and King's Road Public School at 5.0 (2,211th). Older students move to Aldershot School, a combined grade 7-12 building where Aldershot Elementary covers grades 7 and 8 and Aldershot High School covers grades 9 to 12. Because Fraser rates elementary schools on grade 3 and grade 6 results, Aldershot has no separate elementary-band score. It appears only in the secondary report, at 7.6, ranking 130th of 747, and hosts HDSB's regional I-STEM program. On the Catholic side, Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary School on Plains Road East scored 6.0. HDSB's Southwest Burlington Elementary Boundary Review, approved June 2, 2026, touches King's Road and Maplehurst, effective September 2027. Full guide: Aldershot.

Tyandaga

Two HDSB elementary schools serve Tyandaga. Brant Hills Public School, JK-8 on Duncaster Drive, scored 4.4 out of 10 and ranked 2,474th of 3,047, the lowest elementary score in this guide. Paul A. Fisher Public School on Cavendish Drive scored 6.2, ranking 1,426th. Its students spent the 2025-2026 school year at 1433 Headon Road, the former Lester B. Pearson High School building, while HDSB renovated the Paul A. Fisher building, and they return home for the 2026-2027 school year. The public secondary school is M.M. Robinson High School at 2425 Upper Middle Road, which scored 6.5, ranking 311th of 747, and offers French Immersion. On the Catholic side, St. Mark Catholic Elementary School, renovated in 2018-2019, sits on Upper Middle Road between Brant Street and Guelph Line and scored 6.6. Full guide: Tyandaga.

Downtown Burlington

Downtown Burlington is the rare neighbourhood where a child can go from kindergarten to graduation without leaving it. Central Public School, JK-6 at 638 Brant Street, scored 7.0 out of 10 and ranked 873rd of 3,047. Burlington Central School, at 1433 Baldwin Street in a heritage building dating to 1922, covers grades 7 to 12 in English and French Immersion, offers the International Baccalaureate program alongside Advanced Placement, Dual Credit, Cooperative Education, and Specialist High Skills Major pathways, and scored 7.4, ranking 150th of 747. For Catholic families, St. John Catholic Elementary School at 653 Brant Street scored 5.9. This area is also Secondary Review Area 101 in HDSB's active Burlington Central-Nelson realignment, covered below. Full guide: Downtown Burlington.

Roseland

John T. Tuck Public School, JK-8 on Spruce Avenue, is the public elementary school inside Roseland, and its score of 8.5 out of 10, ranking 199th of 3,047, is one of the strongest in the city. Secondary students go to Nelson High School on New Street, open since 1957 with French Immersion, which scored 8.2, ranking 65th of 747, also among the strongest in this guide. Nelson absorbed Robert Bateman High School's students and staff when it closed in 2020, and has since added an eleven million dollar update with specialized labs and vocational spaces. For Catholic families, Assumption Catholic Secondary School on Woodward Avenue scored 7.7. Full guide: Roseland.

Millcroft

Charles R. Beaudoin Public School at 4313 Clubview Drive is the HDSB elementary school in the middle of Millcroft. It scored 8.1 out of 10, ranking 313th of 3,047. On the Catholic side, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Elementary School at 2222 Country Club Drive scored 8.4, ranking 231st. Secondary students go to M.M. Robinson High School, covered above. Charles R. Beaudoin is one of nine schools inside HDSB's Northeast Burlington elementary boundary review, which the board voted to start in June 2026, with any changes expected for September 2028. Full guide: Millcroft.

The Orchard

The Orchard has more school choice inside its own boundaries than most Burlington neighbourhoods. Orchard Park Public School, Kindergarten to Grade 8 at 5151 Dryden Avenue, scored 7.5 out of 10, ranking 589th of 3,047, and Alexander's Public School at 2223 Sutton Drive scored 7.9, ranking 392nd. On the Catholic side, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Elementary School at 5070 Dryden Avenue scored 8.4, and St. Christopher Catholic Elementary School at 2400 Sutton Drive scored 7.1. Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School at 5150 Upper Middle Road scored 8.1, ranking 79th of 747, the strongest Catholic secondary score in this guide. The public elementary boundaries here are part of the same Northeast Burlington review affecting Millcroft. Full guide: The Orchard.

Alton Village

Alton Village was built with its schools inside it. Alton Village Public School at 3290 Steeplechase Drive, which opened in 2012, scored 8.6 out of 10, ranking 182nd of 3,047, one of the strongest elementary results in Burlington. Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School opened in September 2013 on the shared campus at 3040 Tim Dobbie Drive and scored 8.0, ranking 86th of 747. HDSB's own pages for Hayden list Advanced Placement and Specialist High Skills Major pathways among its programs. On the Catholic side, St. Anne Catholic Elementary School at 4675 Doug Wright Drive scored 7.4. Alton Village sits inside HDSB's Northeast Burlington elementary boundary review, which the board voted to start in June 2026, with any changes expected for September 2028. Full guide: Alton Village.

Shoreacres and Elizabeth Gardens

Shoreacres and Elizabeth Gardens sit along the lake in southeast Burlington, and neither has a school built for it under its own name. Lakeshore Public School, at 2243 Lakeshore Road, scored 7.4 out of 10, ranking 643rd of 3,047, and Pauline Johnson Public School, at 4350 Longmoor Drive, posted the highest elementary score anywhere in this guide, 9.1, ranking 97th. Further east, Mohawk Gardens Public School scored 4.7 (2,337th) and St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School scored 5.9 (1,640th). St. Raphael Catholic Elementary School at 4056 New Street also serves Shoreacres. This corner of the city is exactly what HDSB's active Burlington Central-Nelson Secondary School Realignment is about: families here can currently be assigned to either Burlington Central School or Nelson High School depending on the address, and that assignment is under live review through HDSB's Secondary Review Area 102. Our Shoreacres and Elizabeth Gardens guides cover the streets. Our Burlington data hub covers the city-wide numbers, and the board lookup tools below are the only way to confirm a specific address here.

Secondary Schools in Burlington

Ranked together, on the Fraser Institute's Report Card on Ontario's Secondary Schools 2025 (747 schools province wide): Nelson High School leads HDSB at 8.2 out of 10 (65th), then Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School at 8.0 (86th), Aldershot School at 7.6 (130th), Burlington Central School at 7.4 (150th), and M.M. Robinson High School at 6.5 (311th). Aldershot also hosts HDSB's regional I-STEM program, alongside sister sites in Milton and Oakville, and Burlington Central runs the International Baccalaureate program on top of French Immersion. Full addresses and programs for each are in the neighbourhood sections above.

On the Catholic side, Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School (5150 Upper Middle Road) leads at 8.1, ranking 79th. Assumption Catholic Secondary School (Woodward Avenue) scored 7.7, ranking 119th. Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School, in the Headon Forest area of north Burlington, scored 6.5, ranking 311th, tied with M.M. Robinson.

Robert Bateman High School, at 5151 New Street, closed on June 30, 2020. Its students and staff moved to Nelson High School. The building did not sit empty. The City of Burlington purchased the site and has been converting it into the Robert Bateman Community Centre, with Phase 1 opening May 2, 2026. Burlington Public Library, Brock University, TechPlace, HDSB, and the Centennial Pool swim program now operate out of the building, and more community space is planned for later phases. The Bateman name still comes up with buyers who remember the school. Today it names a community centre, not a school.

Boundary Reviews and Capacity

Burlington has more boundary movement in play right now than most cities its size, spread across three separate HDSB reviews.

The Southwest Burlington Elementary Boundary Review, approved under Board Report 26039 on June 2, 2026 using Option 14b (modified), touches twelve schools: Central, King's Road, Lakeshore, Makwendam, Tecumseh, Tom Thomson, Maplehurst, Pineland, Clarksdale, and Rolling Meadows public schools, plus the grade 7-8 elementary programs at Burlington Central and Aldershot, for both English and French Immersion. HDSB says the review addressed overcrowding at Tom Thomson Public School, uneven enrolment across the group, and split cohorts between elementary and middle school. New boundaries take effect September 2027, with legacy exemptions and transportation for students already enrolled.

The Northeast Burlington and Alton Elementary Boundary Review, which the board voted to start in June 2026, covers nine schools including Charles R. Beaudoin Public School in Millcroft. The review itself begins in the winter of 2026-27, and any changes are expected for September 2028.

The Burlington Central-Nelson Secondary School Realignment is newer and still open. HDSB approved a motion to start the review in June 2026, covering Secondary Review Area 101 (Downtown Burlington) and Secondary Review Area 102 (Southeast Burlington), after feedback that the Tecumseh Public School cohort was split between the two high schools. HDSB says the review will not affect students already enrolled or entering in September 2026. Any new boundary would not take effect before September 2027.

On the Catholic side, HCDSB's boundary review page lists no active or recent review for Burlington; its recent activity has been in Milton, Halton Hills, and Oakville. Separately, Paul A. Fisher Public School spent the 2025-2026 school year at 1433 Headon Road, the former Lester B. Pearson High School building, while HDSB renovated its own building, and returns home for the 2026-2027 school year.

Catchments and What They Mean for Prices

Schools are priced into Burlington houses. A street zoned for Pauline Johnson or John T. Tuck carries a premium over a similar street zoned for a school scoring in the 5s or low 6s out of 10, and it is not subtle once you compare recent sales.

What buyers underestimate is how often the map itself moves. Three separate boundary reviews are working through the city right now, and a house assigned to a strong school today can be reassigned before your child finishes elementary school. Boundary streets are not listed here. The boards redraw them, and in several parts of Burlington they are changing right now.

How to Verify a Catchment Before You Buy

For public schools, use HDSB's Find My Local School tool. Enter the exact address and it returns the designated elementary and secondary schools, and flags whether the address sits inside an active boundary review. For Catholic schools, use HCDSB's Find Your School tool, which also posts downloadable boundary maps by school. Neither confirms bus eligibility, which runs through Halton Student Transportation Services separately. With three boundary reviews moving through the city, do not rely on a listing description that names a school. Run the exact address through the board's own lookup.

Frequently asked questions

Which school boards serve Burlington?

The Halton District School Board (HDSB) runs public schools and the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) runs Catholic schools. These are Halton boards, not the Hamilton-Wentworth boards next door.

What does a Fraser Institute score actually measure?

The scores are built from provincial EQAO test results, grade 3 and grade 6 for elementary schools, grade 9 math and the grade 10 literacy test for secondary schools. A school with no grade 3 or grade 6 cohort, like the junior end of a combined grade 7-12 school, does not receive a separate elementary score.

Is Robert Bateman High School still open?

No. It closed on June 30, 2020, and its students moved to Nelson High School. The building on New Street is being converted into the Robert Bateman Community Centre, and Phase 1 is already open. It is not a school anymore.

Which Burlington schools offer French Immersion?

Burlington Central School, M.M. Robinson High School, and Nelson High School all offer it, along with a number of elementary schools whose Immersion boundaries can differ from their English boundaries. Confirm the exact program boundary for an address with HDSB's lookup tool, not the English catchment alone.

Are Burlington's school boundaries changing right now?

Yes, in three places at once: an approved elementary review in the southwest, effective 2027, an newly started elementary review around Alton Village, Millcroft, and The Orchard, with any changes from September 2028, and a still-open secondary review deciding whether Downtown Burlington and Southeast Burlington go to Burlington Central School or Nelson High School.

How do I confirm which school serves a specific address?

Use HDSB's Find My Local School tool for public schools and HCDSB's Find Your School tool for Catholic schools, both linked above. Run the exact address, not the neighbourhood name.

Who should I talk to about buying or selling in Burlington?

Chris Ouzas, Broker with the Michael Ouzas Real Estate Team at Royal LePage Signature Realty. Chris covers Burlington alongside Hamilton and Oakville, and can walk through the school picture for a specific street before you buy.

In short

Burlington's strongest schools score high by any measure: Pauline Johnson at 9.1, John T. Tuck at 8.5, and Alton Village Public School at 8.6 on the elementary side, Nelson High School at 8.2 and Dr. Frank J. Hayden at 8.0 on the secondary side, all in the Fraser Institute's 2025 report cards. The catch is timing. Three separate HDSB boundary reviews are moving through the city at once, and a good score today does not guarantee the same boundary in three years. Run the exact address through HDSB's and HCDSB's own tools before you buy, and treat this guide as a starting point.

Sources used on this page: Fraser Institute Report Cards on Ontario's Elementary and Secondary Schools 2025, HDSB school directory, HDSB boundary reviews, HCDSB, City of Burlington.