The Toronto school board's attempt to start an Africentric school has attracted few applicants as a registration deadline looms.

With about two months to go until registration ends only about 15 students have enrolled, and the Toronto District School Board has said it needs at least 40 students for the project to go ahead.

A pre-registration deadline of Jan. 9 was set by the board for its own internal planning purposes to consider issues like staffing.

Lloyd McKell, the board's head of student and community equity, said it's too early to make assumptions about the pilot project.

"I mean our numbers are increasing, our enrolment is increasing, but any number that we put out prematurely will confuse people regarding whether the school is going forward or not," he said.

The school chosen for the Africentric classes is at Keele Street and Sheppard Avenue West.

Initially the new school is supposed to teach children from kindergarten to Grade 5, with the desired aim of combating the disproportionately high dropout rate among black students in the Toronto school system.

The TDSB intends to increase its promotion for the new school over the next few weeks and McKell said he expects more students to register.

"Well the numbers are happening. Parents are enrolling. [The problem appears to be] the pace at which they're enrolling. Yes, some may say it doesn't reflect what it [should] be, given the tremendous outpouring of support."

The registration deadline is March 9. That will be followed two days later by a TDSB board meeting where the issue of the Africentric school will likely be on the agenda.