Registering Your Child for School in Brossard

In Quebec, public school is free and mandatory from age 6 to 16. In Brossard, two school networks share the territory.

The Centre de services scolaire Marie-Victorin runs the French public schools — it's the default network for the vast majority of families.

The Riverside School Board runs the English public schools, but access is restricted by law.

The Charter of the French Language — often called Bill 101 — restricts access to English public school.

Generally, for a child to be eligible for English instruction, one parent must have received the majority of their elementary education in English in Canada. If you arrive from abroad, your child will almost always go to French school, even if you speak English at home.

If you think you may be eligible, contact Riverside on arrival — a Certificate of Eligibility application is required.

Here is a side-by-side summary of the two networks to guide your choice — or rather to confirm the network the law assigns to you.

In practice, more than 90% of newly arrived families in Brossard are automatically directed to the Centre Marie-Victorin. Riverside remains an option only if you qualify through the parental route — otherwise, registration will be refused there even if you insist.

If your child does not yet speak French, they will be placed in a welcome class.

It's an intensive French-language program lasting from 10 months to two years. The child takes classes in French, math, and adapted subjects with specialist teachers. Once they master the language enough, they join a regular class for their age.

The program is free and part of the public school system.

Prepare the following documents before going to the school:

• The birth certificate of your child — original or certified copy
• A proof of residence in Brossard — lease, Hydro-Québec bill, or BCITI card
• The Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) or any other immigration document for the child and parent
• The vaccination record
• The school report card from the previous year, translated into French or English if possible
• A copy of your passport and your child's

Here are the steps to follow, in order.

• Find your neighbourhood school on the CSS Marie-Victorin site (address-based interactive map)
• Gather all the documents listed in section 4
• Book an appointment with the school or the CSS registration office
• For children who don't speak French: take the language evaluation for the welcome class
• Confirm the registration, receive the schedule and the school-supply list
• If needed, register your child for school-based daycare (morning, noon, evening) — separate fees

School-based daycare is offered in most Brossard elementary schools, generally from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is paid — about 9 dollars per day for families eligible for subsidized services.

The school transport by bus is free for children who live more than 1 kilometre from their school. You'll get info on the stop and schedule before the school year starts.

The most common questions from new Brossard parents about school registration: when to register for the start of the school year, whether mid-year arrival is possible, what costs to budget, and what to do if a child arrives at an unusual age.

To go further on schooling and family life in Brossard:

• Read the Quebec school system to understand each step from preschool to cégep.
• Get the BCITI Brossard card needed for daycare and extracurricular activities.
• Plan weekends with parks and outdoor activities in Brossard to combine school and leisure.

For official, always up-to-date information, see these pages:

• Centre de services scolaire Marie-Victorin — registration
• Riverside School Board — admissions
• Ministry of Education of Quebec

You can also call the Centre Marie-Victorin customer service at 514-380-8899.