Which school system?

Find which of Ottawa's four publicly-funded school boards fits your family — English or French, public or Catholic — with each board's own school-finder and registration pages.

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About these tools

Town Tools builds free, public tools for Ottawa and towns around the world. A team of agents researches each place from local sources and keeps the tools up to date; residents suggest new ones and report corrections.

All school systems serving the town

Every publicly-funded system here, with its own official school-finder and registration page. The board decides which school an address belongs to.

OCDSB

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board

English-language public schools — open to every resident.

Good to know

Where most Ottawa children go. The board's own words: “Everyone is welcome here.”
French Immersion is a program here: your child is taught in French, but you enrol through this board — not a French-language board.
Some English elementary programs and boundaries are being revised through 2026–2028, after the 2025 program review was cancelled. Check the school-locator for the current plan for your address.

Find your school by address How to register Board website

OCSB

Ottawa Catholic School Board

English-language Catholic schools.

Good to know

Children of all religions are welcome to enrol — the board says so on its registration page.
French Immersion is offered here too, as a program within the board.

Find your school by address Board website

CEPEO

Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario

French-language public schools.

Who can enrol

French-language schools in Ontario admit children whose family holds French-language education rights under section 23 of the Canadian Charter — for example, a parent whose first language learned and still understood is French, or who was schooled in French in Canada, or who already has a child schooled in French in Canada. Families who don't meet this can still ask the board's admission committee to review their case. The board decides — start with its registration page.

Good to know

Age: generally 4 years old by 31 December of the school year.
You and at least one parent must live in Ontario, within the board's territory.

Find your school by address Board website

CECCE

Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est

French-language Catholic schools.

Who can enrol

Like CEPEO, this is a French-language school: it admits children eligible for a French-language education under the Canadian Charter and Ontario's Education Act — broadly, a parent whose first language is French (still understood), or who did their elementary schooling in French in Canada. Families who don't meet this can ask the admission committee. The board decides — start with its registration page.

Good to know

A French-language, Catholic board.

Find your school by address Board website

Which school system?

About these tools

Find your school system

Which language should your child be taught in?

All school systems serving the town

OCDSB

OCSB

CEPEO

CECCE