Toronto could soon have an Africentric high school after the city's school board voted in favour of expanding its black-focused school program.
The Toronto District School Board approved a secondary Africentric Alternative School by a vote of 14 to 6 during a meeting Wednesday night.
The location of the school has not been determined, but staff said they plan on having the school in place within the next two years.
In 2009, the TDSB opened a black-focused elementary school. Board officials said the planned secondary school would establish a pathway for those who attended the elementary school.
A feasibility study has been completed examining potential school models and course options. TDSB staff is also planning to hold a public consultation to determine the best location for the school.
A proposal to form an Africentric high school inside Oakwood Collegiate was put on hold earlier this year after students and their parents objected on the grounds that it would threaten the school's diversity.
There are currently 30,000 students of African heritage in the Toronto school system, with a dropout rate of about 40 per cent. Africentric elementary school students have produced above-average scores on standardized tests.
