This guide is for international families considering the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board（温莎埃塞克斯天主教教育局）, a Catholic public school board in Windsor, Ontario, whose international education program, the website says, welcomes students from around the world and serves more than 200 international students a year through long-term, short-term and summer study options. Everything below comes from the board’s official website — the international education, fees, application, accommodation and ESL pages — as seen on 5 August 2026. The board’s own claims are used only to describe the board itself, not as rankings or comparisons.
Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board at a glance
The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Boardoperates elementary and secondary Catholic schools across Windsor-Essex, Ontario, with its education centre at 1325 California Avenue in Windsor. The website describes Windsor-Essex as one of the most culturally diverse regions in Canada, which the board cites as an ideal setting for international students, and notes its membership in CAPS-I and OASDI, two international-education organizations. For students aiming at a full Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), the long-term program lets them study a semester (five months) or a full year (ten months), earn credits toward the diploma and stay on for several years to graduate. The board says it is the only publicly funded board in Ontario — and the second in Canada — to run its own dormitory for international students; that claim belongs to the board, but the dormitory is described in its own section below.
Programs: long-term, short-term and summer study
The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Boardoffers three study formats. Long-term study, open to elementary and secondary students, runs five months (one semester) or ten months (a full school year), with full integration into Canadian classrooms, OSSD credits at the secondary level and the option to continue year after year until graduation. Short-term study runs two weeks to four months in a Canadian classroom, combining classroom integration with English practice and ending with a certificate of completion. The summer program is a two-week ESL camp with daily English lessons and activities at school and local attractions, available to groups of at least ten students. Before arrival, every long-term student completes a free 30-minute online English assessment; the international student coordinator reviews the result and decides the best school placement.
High school pathways and specialist programs
Across its eight secondary schools, the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Boardoffers a wide spread of specialist programs. Two schools run the International Baccalaureate (IB) program; three run STEM academies (science, technology, engineering and mathematics); several run sports academies covering hockey, basketball, baseball, soccer and dance; French Immersion is available at multiple schools; and construction academies cover electrical, masonry, carpentry and plumbing trades. English as a Second Language (ESL) and ELD programming is offered at four high schools, and several schools include Cooperative Education, a work-integrated learning option. Within schools, specialty classes range from accounting and international business to communications technology, fashion and textile design, health and wellness, and environmental science. The website adds that its international graduation rate is 97% annually and that graduates move on to a range of Ontario post-secondary institutions — its own figures, worth checking against current years.
English assessment and language support
The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Boarddoes not publish a single minimum English score for international admission; instead, all long-term students take a free 30-minute online language assessment before arriving in Canada, and the result guides both placement and the level of support arranged. In-school, each long-term international student has one named contact at their school who meets with them regularly on timetables, tests and any concerns. Secondary ESL and ELD courses run at four high schools — Assumption, F.J. Brennan, Cardinal Carter and Catholic Central — and the board operates a Welcome and Assessment Centre at St. Michael’s Adult Catholic High School offering reception, orientation and initial language assessment for newcomers.
Entry requirements and how to apply
Applications to the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Boardare online only; paper applications are not accepted. Before applying, families should have ready: a photocopy of the student’s passport, a translated and certified immunization record, translated and certified school records for the previous two years, and a headshot photo (JPG, max 500KB). The application also requires downloading, signing and returning the terms and conditions and the photo and internet consent form. A non-refundable application fee of $260 CAD is charged at registration. The board publishes no fixed application deadline on the pages reviewed, and its homepage banner shows registrations open for the 2026-27 school year. Where transcripts need verification, an additional $200 CAD transcript validation fee applies.
2026-2027 fees and what they cover
The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Boardpublishes its 2026-2027 fees in Canadian dollars. For secondary students, a full year totals $15,240: base tuition $13,300, medical insurance $540, an activity fee of $100 and the Ontario International Student Recovery charge of $1,300. A five-month term totals $7,620 and one month $1,564. For elementary students, a full year totals $14,440: base tuition $12,600, medical insurance $540 and the recovery charge $1,300; five months is $7,220 and one month $1,444. The full year runs September 2026 to June 2027; five-month terms run September to January or February to June.
Included in all programs are the online English assessment, department support through application, registration and academic advising, and a welcome orientation. Not included are school uniforms, transportation to and from school or club activities, and school-level extras such as yearbooks, prom, sports equipment and field trips. The dormitory is billed separately: $19,000 for a full year, $9,500 for five months and $1,900 for one month, plus a $500 placement fee due July 1. Homestay fees are quoted separately by the board’s homestay partner and are not part of the tuition figures above. All amounts are as published on the official site and should be checked against the current version before planning a budget.
Accommodation: dormitory and homestay
The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Boardoffers two accommodation routes. Its own international dormitory sits on the grounds of Assumption College Catholic High School and houses up to 60 students, with separate floors for girls and boys and two students per room. The rate includes a full meal plan, 24/7 security with swipe-card access, monitoring by in-house dormitory coordinators, common study spaces, on-site laundry, student activities, custodianship services and airport transfer on arrival from Windsor International Airport. It does not include daily transport outside dormitory programming, special dietary meal-plan fees, the $300 CAD transfer to or from Detroit Metro Airport, or departure transfers. For families who prefer living with a Canadian host family, the board works with MLI Homestay, which manages placements and bills by semester or year for the September 2026 to July 2027 program period.
Support, scholarships and the refund policy
The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Boarddescribes a support chain that runs from application to the first day of school: department help with documents and registration, the pre-arrival English assessment, welcome orientation, and a named in-school contact for every long-term student. The International Education Student Scholarship Award recognizes up to ten graduating students each June for excellence in academics or personal growth, with winners receiving up to $1,000 CAD toward post-secondary study. The refund policy is set out in writing: a full refund of tuition (not the application fee) applies if a study permit is refused or enrollment is cancelled before the program start date; half of tuition is refunded if a student withdraws within the first 30 days; no refund is given after 30 days, or if a student is dismissed for a breach of law or policy. Refunds are paid back through the original payment method and take about six to eight weeks to process.
FAQ
Q: What kind of institution is the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board? A: It is a Catholic public school board in Windsor, Ontario, with elementary and secondary schools; international students can study long-term toward the OSSD, short-term, or in the summer ESL camp.
Q: How much does a year cost? A: For 2026-2027, a full secondary year totals $15,240 and an elementary year $14,440, with the dormitory at $19,000 extra and homestay quoted separately; all figures are in Canadian dollars.
Q: What English score is required? A: The board publishes no single minimum score; every long-term student takes a free 30-minute online English assessment before arrival, and ESL and ELD support is available at four high schools.
Q: Can students live in the dormitory? A: Yes — the board’s own dormitory on the Assumption College campus houses up to 60 students with meals, 24/7 security and supervision; homestay through the board’s partner is the alternative.
Q: When should we apply? A: No fixed deadline is published; applications are online only, registrations for 2026-27 are open per the homepage, and the non-refundable $260 CAD application fee is paid at registration.
All facts in this guide come from the official website of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, accessed 5 August 2026; programs, fees and requirements change with each school year, so the official site is the reference for current information. Every student’s grade, English level and accommodation choice are different, and costs and timing are best worked out case by case — our advisers can help you map your own situation.