Moving to Peterborough with Kids: How School Registration Works

If you’re moving to Peterborough with school-age kids, you’ll register with one of two local school boards: Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (KPR, public) or Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board (PVNC Catholic). Both accept new students during the school year, both start online, and both finish at the school with a few documents in hand.

Moves don’t always line up with September. Closing dates land in November, jobs start in February, and kids still need a classroom on Monday morning. Our team hears the same questions from families every season, so here’s a plain-language walkthrough of how school registration works in Ptbo, and how to fit it around your move.

Step 1: Find your school by address

Your home school is based on your address, not your neighbourhood name, and boundaries can split a street. Before you fall for a house in East City or the West End, look up the exact address.

• KPR: use the Find a School tool linked from KPR’s registration page, which locates your nearest KPR school from your home address.
• PVNC Catholic: the board’s registration page links to a school finder for Peterborough City and County.

If you’re hoping for a school outside your boundary, both boards have an out-of-boundary request process. Approval depends on space, so don’t count on it when choosing a house.

Step 2: Start the registration online

KPR registers new students through its online portal. The board notes it needs a laptop, desktop, Chromebook or full-size tablet, not a phone. If online doesn’t work for you, there’s a paper form you can bring to the school. KPR’s FAQ says it accepts new students throughout the year.

PVNC Catholic starts with an online form through its Student Registration Portal, one form per child. The board is clear that the form alone doesn’t enrol your child: the school follows up to set a meeting and complete registration. You can register at any point in the school year, but keep in mind schools close over the summer months. Catholic school eligibility has its own rules, which PVNC explains on the same page.

Step 3: Gather your documents

Both boards will want to see originals at the school. The lists differ a little, but expect some version of this:

• Proof of age: usually a birth certificate.
• Immunization record.
• Proof of address. PVNC lists options like a utility or property tax bill, a lease, a mortgage statement or a purchase and sale agreement, and notes that driver’s licences and cell phone bills aren’t accepted.
• Custody documents, if they apply. KPR also asks for citizenship verification, and PVNC asks for a baptismal certificate where applicable.

That purchase and sale agreement matters for buyers. If you’ve firmed up on a home but haven’t closed yet, ask the school whether it will work as proof of address so you can get the paperwork moving before moving day.

Timing it around your move

A few things we suggest to families planning a move mid-year:

• Call the new school once you’re firm. Principals and office staff deal with mid-year moves all the time, and a quick call sorts out start dates and what they need from you.
• Check busing early. STSCO, the local student transportation consortium, handles busing for both boards. For KPR, elementary students are generally eligible if they live more than 1.6 km from school by the shortest walking route.
• Ask for records from the old school. Let your current school know you’re leaving so your child’s records can be sent to the new school.
• Kindergarten is on a calendar. KPR says kindergarten registration for the following September usually opens in late January, and PVNC says the third week of January. Children start Junior Kindergarten in September of the year they turn four.

Then give everyone a soft landing. A walk along Little Lake, a visit to the Lift Lock or an afternoon at Jackson Park goes a long way toward making a new town feel like home.

Where we can help

We can’t register your kids for you, but we can help you look at homes with school boundaries in mind and plan a closing date that works with the school calendar. Our guide to Peterborough neighbourhoods for families is a good next read, and if you’re coming from the east GTA, see moving from Durham to Peterborough.

Sources: KPR, Register for School; KPR, Frequently Asked Questions; PVNC Catholic, Registration; PVNC Administrative Procedure 206. Written by McAuley Real Estate Group, a team at Bowes & Cocks Limited, Brokerage in Peterborough, Ontario. This is general information; policies change, so confirm details with the school board and your child’s new school.