HDSB applications for AP, IB, I-STEM and the APEX athlete academy are open until November 30

What is open

The Halton District School Board said on October 30, 2026 that it is accepting applications to its Advanced Placement (AP), Academy for Athletic Performance and Excellence (APEX), International Baccalaureate (IB) and I-STEM programs. The board says the programs are open to all students across Ontario, who apply on each program's page at hdsb.ca, and that online applications close at 11:59 p.m. on November 30, 2026.

The four programs

• Advanced Placement: students entering Grades 9 and 10 can apply to AP-Prep, with AP courses in Grades 11 and 12. The AP page says Grade 8 students apply to confirm their intent to register, with a randomized selection if school space is limited.
• International Baccalaureate: the two-year IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12, and a free IBDP Prep program in Grades 9 and 10 at every HDSB IB school.
• I-STEM: a four-year program in engineering design, design thinking and entrepreneurial skills.
• APEX: a new regional sports program for competitive student-athletes, particularly those competing at provincial or national levels, launching in September 2027 at the board's new Oakville secondary school at 4020 Sixth Line.

Where they run in Oakville

The board's program pages list these Oakville schools. IB Diploma and IBDP Prep: White Oaks Secondary School. I-STEM: T.A. Blakelock High School. APEX: the New Oakville Secondary School at 4020 Sixth Line, from September 2027.

For Advanced Placement, the AP page lists AP Prep in Grades 9 and 10 at Garth Webb Secondary School, T.A. Blakelock High School, the New Oakville Secondary School, and Oakville Trafalgar High School starting in the 2027–28 school year. It lists AP courses in Grades 11 and 12 at Abbey Park, Garth Webb, Iroquois Ridge, Oakville Trafalgar and T.A. Blakelock. The page also says AP exams are open to every student registered in an HDSB secondary school.

Students currently at an HDSB school apply as internal applicants, and students at other schools apply as external applicants, through the links on each program page. The APEX page says the board does not provide transportation for APEX.