Markham District High School (or MDHS) is a public high school in the city of Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is one of 32 high schools in the York Region District School Board. Until the 2016–17 academic year, it was the only publicly funded school within York Region which had a non-semestered system. In the 2016–17 academic year, the school switched to a semestered system.
History
Markham District High School was the first school in Markham. Secondary school education officially began in Markham, in January, 1858, which was then called Markham Village Grammar School. Prior to 1858, higher education was found in Toronto (Home District Grammar School). Since there was not a school building, quarters were rented in Temperance Hall at Franklin and George Streets, on the site now occupied by the Markham Lawn Bowling Club. After the passage of the Act to Improve the Common and Grammar Schools of the Province of Ontario in 1871 a permanent home was opened at the southeast corner of Joseph Street and Albert Street (today's 55 Albert Street) as the Markham Village High School in 1879. Additions were added in 1892 to provide more space. Markham High School also took students who attended Agincourt Continuation School and wanted to complete their matriculation (grades 11 to 13) from 1915 until 1930, when Agincourt High School was formed.
The year 1952 marked the establishment of the present Markham High School District, which comprises approximately the south-east half of Markham. In April 1953, the then York County School Board began construction of the school building on the southside of Church Street east of Mount Joy Creek began. In September 1954, a modern, three hundred pupil Secondary School was opened. The old site on Albert Street became the new home of the Markham Union Masonic Lodge and converted to commercial space in 2009. In July, 1964, construction was started on a vocational addition, which would make the Markham District High School a fully composite school. This was occupied in September 1965. Two years later more accommodation was needed, and the latest addition was opened in January 1970. This building was used until the end of the 2009–10 school year, after which it was torn down. The enrolment for 1971–72 in this large, well-equipped composite school is approximately eighteen hundred students. In 1971 the school transferred to the York Region Board of Education and York Region District School Board in 1998.
In 2006, the York Region District School Board identified Markham DHS as a candidate replacement school based on building and program renewal requirements. Board staff met with school staff in September 2006 to describe the process to replace Markham DHS. Board staff met with interested members of the community in April 2007 to describe the phasing plan and preliminary Site Plan and the process to replace Markham DHS.
The Board decided to replace Markham DHS with a new school that accommodates 1,400 students. The opening of Bur Oak Secondary School in 2007 was to reduce the number of students served by Markham DHS. The construction of the new school would allow students within the permanent boundary and the existing gifted program continued attendance into the future. The phasing of construction activities for the new school (on the site of the former sports field) also allowed occupancy of the existing building until the new school building was completed. The site plan was approved in the Spring of 2008, and construction began shortly after.
In the year 2010, the new school and present building was completed and the old one was torn down and re-purposed as greenspace. The greenspace consists of a walking trail, small garden and picnic tables.
Athletics
The Markham Marauders is the official sports team, best known for football and basketball.
The Markham Marauders are the first team in York Region to win the Metro Bowl. They defeated Birchmount Park 19–0 in the 2009 Metro Bowl. played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
During the 1980s, the Marauders were the dominant school in handball, winning several regional and provincial titles.
The Markham Marauders boys curling team has been YRAA champions and OFSAA participants for the past four years. Notably, the 2007–08 team finished 4th out of the 20 teams entered at OFSAA in Peterborough.
In addition, the 1986 Markham Marauders boys curling team were YRAA champions and runner up at OFSAA.
The Markham Marauders girls curling team won the 2013–14 YRAA championships and represented the school at OFSAA in Brampton where they also finished 4th out of the 20 teams entered.