Students Divided Over TDSB Lottery Admissions After Two Years

The introduction of a lottery system for specialty schools by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in 2022 has sparked significant debate among students, parents, and educators. As admissions for programs focused on arts, math, and science transitioned from merit-based criteria to a random selection process, many are questioning whether this change has made access fairer or if it has diluted the quality of education.

At Marc Garneau Collegiate, student leader Victor Jiang observes a decline in student engagement. Club attendance has dropped, and fewer students are stepping up to take leadership roles. Jiang attributes this shift to the TDSB’s decision to replace merit-based admissions with a lottery system. He argues that randomly selecting students has led to varying levels of skill within programs, which in turn has affected the curriculum and diminished school spirit. “It profoundly hurts the student community,” he states, emphasizing a need for an update to the controversial admissions policy.

The TDSB has indicated that a revision to its admissions policy is forthcoming, with applications for the next academic year set to open in November. The board has so far declined to comment further on the ongoing debate.

Critics of the lottery system—including students, parents, and educators—highlight concerns about increased dropout rates and a failure to achieve promised diversity. They argue that the lottery has not brought in the varied student body it aimed for and has weakened the quality of programs. Parents pushing their children into programs they are not genuinely interested in is also cited as a contributing factor to these issues.

For years, access to esteemed high school programs was determined through auditions, exams, and essays, designed to identify students with proven talent. In 2022, the TDSB adopted a centralized Student Interest Programs policy, allowing all students to apply. When applications exceed available spots, the TDSB allocates places by lottery, prioritizing under-represented groups, including Indigenous, Black, Latin American, and Middle Eastern students. Additionally, half of the spots in math and science programs are reserved for female students.

Ayan Kailie, whose daughter is part of the first cohort admitted to Etobicoke School of the Arts (ESA) under the lottery, supports the random selection process. She believes it provides children from lower-income families a fair opportunity to attend specialized programs. “It drives me crazy when I see people push back on the lottery,” she says, arguing that the system helps remove barriers that often limit access to resources.

Patricia Warnock, head of the music theatre program at ESA, acknowledges the importance of equity and diversity but advocates for a return to merit-based admissions with fairness measures integrated. Prior to the lottery system, ESA had implemented strategies to increase access, including redesigning its audition process to focus on potential rather than preparation and offering free workshops. However, she notes that the board later prohibited outreach efforts aimed at encouraging diverse applicants.

Warnock has observed worrying trends since the lottery’s implementation, including heightened dropout rates. For instance, last year, nine Grade 9 students transferred out of ESA, a significant increase from just one transfer in the 2019-20 academic year. She also highlights a decline in student engagement, noting that students in specialized programs sometimes lack genuine interest in their chosen fields, which has altered the classroom dynamic.

At Rosedale Heights School of the Arts, Grade 12 student Hailey Jackson shares that school spirit has also waned. Previously vibrant events, such as Halloween Week, are experiencing decreased participation, particularly among younger students. Jackson, who is involved with the school newspaper, has observed a noticeable decrease in the presence of LGBTQ students, impacting the school’s culture.

Jackson believes merit-based admissions could still achieve equity while allowing for a selection process that identifies genuinely interested students. “Eliminating auditions and relying solely on a lottery risks excluding students who truly belong,” she says.

Michael Danishevsky, co-chair of the parent council at William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute, is a vocal opponent of the lottery system. His son is in the MaCS Program, which focuses on enriched math and science. “The last three years were a failed experiment,” he asserts, citing lowered academic standards and increased dropout rates. Danishevsky contends that the lottery has led to a classroom dynamic where some students are unprepared, while others are unchallenged.

He emphasizes that the promised diversity from the lottery has not materialized, as the MaCS program was already diverse. A recent report co-authored by Danishevsky and University of Toronto economist Marcin Peski for the advocacy group Save Our Schools suggests that the lottery’s introduction correlated with a decline in student performance in national math contests.

The analysis of results revealed that in 2024, four TDSB schools ranked among the Top 20 in the Grade 10 contest. However, by 2025, none made the top rankings, indicating a concerning trend linked to the lottery admissions policy. The report concludes, “The only explanation consistent with the evidence is that the lottery admissions policy itself materially weakened student performance.”

As the TDSB prepares for an update to its admissions policy, the debate continues. Stakeholders remain divided on whether the lottery system has fostered a more equitable educational environment or if it has inadvertently undermined the quality and spirit of specialized programs.