SD43 School Catchments: Choosing a Home Near the Right School

For many families, the school down the street matters as much as the home itself. If you are buying in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore or Belcarra, your address decides your catchment school in School District 43. Here is how catchments work, what isn't guaranteed, and how to check before you buy.

The short version

SD43 at a glance

School District 43 serves Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra, and describes itself as the third largest school district in BC. Its school directory lists about 32,000 students in 70 schools. Elementary schools teach kindergarten to Grade 5, middle schools Grades 6 to 8, and secondary schools Grades 9 to 12, and each level has its own catchment.

How catchment priority works

Under SD43's policy on student attendance areas, when a school has space, it takes students in this order:

• Children who live in the catchment
• Continuing students, meaning children already at the school or at one of its feeder schools, and their siblings
• Other children who live in SD43
• Children from outside the district

Your catchment is set by the permanent home address where you and your child live.

Check the address before you buy

SD43's School Locator, linked from its registration pages, shows the schools that serve a street address. Look up the exact address, not just the neighbourhood. Then confirm with the school or the district, especially if the address is near a boundary. Treat any school information in a listing as a starting point, not a promise.

When you register, SD43 asks for three documents showing your name and BC address. A property purchase agreement, a property tax statement, a long-term tenancy agreement and a BC Hydro bill are among the documents it accepts. Schools at or near capacity may ask for more, and incorrect residency information can lead to a student being removed.

A catchment seat isn't guaranteed

SD43's registration procedure says students who register after September are placed at their catchment school if there is space, and once classes are full, a new student is given a space at the closest neighbouring school. If you are moving during the school year, or into a fast-growing area, ask the school about space before you commit to a date.

Registration dates

• Kindergarten. Children who turn five by December 31 register over a few days in early February of that year, by emailing the form and documents to their catchment school. SD43 posts the exact dates on its kindergarten registration page. A kindergarten-aged child moving into the district can register at any time.
• Siblings. A kindergarten child with an older sibling who will still be at the same elementary school registers there, even if it isn't the catchment school. Siblings have priority right after catchment children.
• Cross-catchment requests. To attend a school outside your catchment, you apply online in February. Requests are approved only where enrolment projections show space, by random draw, with siblings first. Approval covers only that school, so moving on to middle or secondary school means applying again.

French Immersion and other Programs of Choice

SD43 offers Early French Immersion from kindergarten and Late French Immersion from Grade 6. Places are filled by random draw through the Programs of Choice application in January, not by catchment. Kindergarten children with a sibling who will still be in the program the next year get top priority, but they still need to apply. Families can apply for up to three programs, and transportation is up to the family. SD43 also offers Montessori from kindergarten and Grade 6, and Mandarin Bilingual from kindergarten. Every elementary and middle school teaches Core French.

For French-language education, the Conseil scolaire francophone runs École des Pionniers-de-Maillardville in Port Coquitlam, from kindergarten to Grade 12, for children whose parents meet its admission rules.

Catchments change

SD43 reviews catchment boundaries every year and aims to make final decisions by late January. A few changes worth knowing about:

• Burke Mountain Secondary. The new school on David Avenue in Coquitlam is scheduled to open in fall 2027, and SD43 has said part of the area south of David Avenue will join its catchment for the 2027-28 school year.
• Rebuilds. Port Moody's Moody Elementary opened in a new building in January 2026, and Hazel Trembath Elementary in Port Coquitlam is being rebuilt after a fire.
• Growth areas. SD43's latest capital plan asks the Province for school sites in Fraser Mills and Coquitlam's City Centre. Those are requests, not funded schools, so check the current catchment rather than a future one.

Questions parents often ask me

How do I find my SD43 catchment school?

Use SD43's School Locator with the exact street address, then confirm with the school or the district, especially near a boundary.

Is my child guaranteed a spot at our catchment school?

Not always. Catchment children have first priority, but if you register during the school year and classes are full, your child can be placed at the closest neighbouring school.

Can my child attend a school outside our catchment?

You can apply through SD43's cross-catchment process in February. Requests are approved by random draw only where there is space, with siblings first.

How does French Immersion work in SD43?

Early French Immersion starts in kindergarten and Late French Immersion in Grade 6. Places are filled by random draw through the Programs of Choice application in January.

When is kindergarten registration in SD43?

In early February, for children who turn five by December 31. SD43 posts the exact dates on its kindergarten registration page.

Comparing neighbourhoods? Read Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam or Port Moody? and Burke Mountain vs Westwood Plateau, or browse homes for sale in Coquitlam.

Details are from School District 43 and the Conseil scolaire francophone at the time of writing, and catchments and dates can change. For SD43's guide, see registration information.