School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows（枫树岭教育局）is a public school district in British Columbia, Canada, serving the neighbouring communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows in the Metro Vancouver area. Its international education office reports that the district has been hosting international students for more than 30 years and is currently accepting applications for February 2027 and September 2027 entry. Everything in this guide was verified against the district website (www.sd42.ca) and its official international program site (inted.sd42.ca) on 5 August 2026.
School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows at a Glance
School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadowsis a publicly funded district rather than a private school group: it operates 21 elementary schools and 6 secondary schools, all staffed by government-certified teachers, and its programs follow the BC provincial curriculum. Elementary covers Kindergarten through Grade 7, and secondary covers Grades 8 to 12. The international education office is based at the Riverside Centre in Maple Ridge and coordinates applications, homestay placement, insurance and day-to-day support for international students. The district’s own description of its location places it between the Thompson mountain range and the Fraser River, close to Vancouver, with year-round outdoor activities nearby.
Programs and Schools
The international program at School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadowsis organised in two tracks. In elementary, international students can attend any of the 21 elementary schools with space: students in Kindergarten through Grade 4 must live with a parent or legal custodian while studying, while students in Grades 5 to 7 must either live with a parent or have locally arranged custodial support. Elementary entry points are September (one year) and February (five months).
In secondary, the district’s 6 secondary schools take international students in Grades 8 to 12 for 5 months, 1 year, or through to graduation, with entry in September, February or April. Beyond regular academic courses, the district offers English Language Learning (ELL) support and a broad elective list that includes applied skills (culinary arts, woodworking, automotive), modern languages (French, Spanish, Japanese), visual and performing arts, physical education and yoga, and technology. Garibaldi Secondary runs the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB-DP) and Middle Years Program (IB-MYP), and the district’s academies cover basketball, hockey, interdisciplinary arts, Microsoft IT, soccer and softball.
Entry Requirements for International Students
Applications to School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadowsgo through the district’s online application system in three steps. First, applicants complete the academic online application, upload transcripts or report cards for the last 2 years, the first page of their passport, a recent photograph, a signed Legal Agreement, and pay the non-refundable 200 CAD application fee. Second, the district issues a draft Letter of Acceptance and an invoice; once all program fees are paid, the official Letter of Acceptance is sent, along with custodial documents if required. Third, students apply for a Canadian Study Permit if needed, and the district advises starting that process at least 8 weeks before arrival.
Age and grade matter for eligibility. Elementary entry is governed by residence requirements (younger grades must live with a parent or legal custodian). In secondary, students who enter the BC system in Grade 10 or earlier follow the same graduation requirements as domestic students; students entering in Grade 11 or 12 must provide proof of English proficiency and complete the graduation program requirements, with credit eligibility determined during the application process. The district does not publish a single uniform English score threshold on its pages, so individual assessment and the latest official pages are the reference.
Costs and Fees
School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadowspublishes two full fee schedules for its secondary program, both marked subject to change. For 2026/27 (10-month academic year): tuition 15,700 CAD, medical insurance 1,300 CAD, annual homestay placement fee 350 CAD, homestay fees 12,000 CAD, airport pickup included, annual custodian fee 250 CAD and orientation fee 150 CAD for new high school students, for a total of 29,950 CAD; the 5-month option totals 15,450 CAD (tuition 7,850 CAD, homestay 6,000 CAD, insurance 650 CAD). For 2027/28 the 10-month total rises to 31,700 CAD (tuition 16,100 CAD, homestay 13,000 CAD, custodian fee 500 CAD, orientation 200 CAD), and the 5-month total is 16,500 CAD.
The fees page lists secondary program fees only; the district does not publish a separate uniform price list for elementary on that page, so elementary figures should be checked against the latest official pages. Fee payment is tied to intake: for February entry, fees are due by 30 November of the prior year, and for September entry by 31 March of the intake year, per the 2026/27 official date sheet.
Application Timeline and Key Dates
The official date sheets from School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadowsset out the full annual cycle. For the 2026/27 cycle: the application deadline for February 2027 entry is 1 November 2026, and for September 2027 entry it is 1 March 2027. September-entry students arrive between 1 and 6 September (the district notes no arrivals before 1 September), with district and school orientation and the first day of classes on 8-9 September. February-entry students arrive on 30-31 January, with district orientation on 1 February and school orientation and first classes on 2 February. The winter break runs 21 December to 1 January, spring break 15-26 March, the secondary program ends 22 June, and students not staying for summer programs depart 23-27 June.
Support After Acceptance
Once a student is accepted, School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadowscoordinates accommodation, insurance and daily support. Homestay is administered by the district itself: host families are screened and police-checked, homestay coordinators check in with students at school after arrival, and hosts are Canadian residents from diverse cultural backgrounds. Medical insurance is arranged for every international student: those studying 6 months or more are placed on BC’s MSP plan with a private StudyInsured top-up, while students studying 5 months or less receive a comprehensive private StudyInsured plan. Airport pickup is included in program fees, and orientation days are built into the arrival schedule. Academic advising, cultural adjustment support and ELL assistance are also part of the package.
Planning Notes for Prospective Families
For families weighing School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, the practical sequence is: confirm the intake window for the child’s grade (elementary September or February; secondary September, February or April), gather the application documents, note the two application deadlines (1 November for February entry, 1 March for September entry), budget against the latest published fee schedule with room for adjustment, and plan homestay, insurance and custodial arrangements after acceptance. Two honest boundaries: the district does not publish a single English score minimum or a uniform elementary fee list on its pages, and visa and statutory eligibility follow official government rules. All figures here reflect the district’s official pages as of 5 August 2026 and may change. If you would like to turn this into a step-by-step plan for your child’s grade and situation, speak with our advisors and we will work through it together.