The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) is the public school board for the city of Hamilton. Established on January 1, 1998, via the amalgamation of the Hamilton and Wentworth County school boards, the board currently operates 93 elementary and secondary schools. The board has approximately 50,000 students in its 93 neighbourhood schools. In addition to the programming offered at 88 elementary and 15 secondary schools, a number of alternative programs focusing on sports, academics, science, arts and languages are available. The current director of education is Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini. (en)