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. Both of the Markham Marauders curling teams (boys and girls) won the 2015–16 YRAA championships and represented the school at OFSAA in Northbay in March 2016. The Markham Marauders girls flag football team winning YRAA many years in a row. They won OFSAA in the 2015–2016