Petition to Save Heydon Park Secondary School
Support Inclusive Education for Students with Special Education Needs

We, the undersigned, are calling on the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Ontario Ministry of Education to reverse the decision to restrict admissions to Heydon Park Secondary School for September 2025. This decision — which prohibits the enrollment of new Grade 9 students and students identified with a Mild Intellectual Disability (MID) — threatens the future of one of Toronto’s most unique and essential schools.

Heydon Park Secondary School is the TDSB’s only high school exclusively for young women, transgender and non-binary students with special education needs. Many students have experienced in and out-of-school trauma before coming to Heydon Park. For over a century, this small, student-centered school has served as a safe, inclusive, and affirming learning space where students thrive both academically and personally, allowing them to reach their full potential as strong contributing members of society.

Our mission at Heydon Park is to empower students with special education needs through hands-on, culturally responsive programming. We offer specialized pathways in culinary arts, hair and aesthetics, robotics, and the arts, alongside a full academic program that prepares students for post-secondary education, apprenticeships, and meaningful careers. Our model works. Students who have struggled in large, traditional school settings come to Heydon Park and find success, confidence, and a community.

This decision is not just a policy change — it is a direct consequence of the chronic underfunding of education in Ontario, and in particular, the erosion of support for special education. Denying access to this vital program ignores the voices of families who have actively sought out Heydon Park for their children’s success.

We urge the TDSB and the provincial government to:

1. Reverse the admission restrictions placed on Heydon Park for September 2025.
2. Commit to sustainable funding for specialized programs that support students with special education needs.
3. Recognize and protect Heydon Park as a critical, equity-focused school within the public education system.

Every student deserves the right to an education that meets their needs. Heydon Park has been that place for countless students — and must continue to be.

Please add your name to support equitable education and help save Heydon Park. Thank you for your support!