Public board making pivot to remote classes, still planning for in-person return

Hastings Prince Edward District School Board students will return to synchronous virtual learning on Thursday as schools use the next couple of days to contact families and make arrangements for device distribution.

Director of Education Katherine MacIver provided an update on the return to learning at a special meeting Monday evening after the province announced remote learning will be in place until at least January 17 due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

MacIver says in-school classes will continue for special education students for families who choose to do so.

Special child care programs will also be operating in schools.

“Emergency child care programs have been identified to us, verbally, that they will be primarily for health care providers. And we may have extended hours and extended space depending on the program requirements and those conversations with our operators.”

The virtual meeting had been previously planned to discuss some of the moves the school board was making for in-person learning but some of the focus shifted after the announcement by Premier Doug Ford.

MacIver says in the future, staff will have the option to wear non-fit-tested N95 masks or they can continue to wear the medical masks they have been providing.

“Our procurement staff worked over the break to ensure that our order was submitted so that these masks could be shipped as soon as possible. We expect that we will have our first shipment by the end of this week.”

Three-layer cloth masks have also been ordered for students and will be provided free of charge.

MacIver acknowledges that one of the biggest changes that has people concerned is that public health will no longer provide contact tracing and notification of positive COVID cases in schools.

“We understand that this is an evolving item and that information and processes will evolve over the next week or two and I will be sure to communicate that to trustees and to our families so that they are aware of new screening, reporting and communication practices as they evolve.”

MacIver says administrators will continue to report any communicable disease to the local Medical Officer of Health as they are still required to do.

An additional 30 HEPA units – in addition to the 381 already in schools – will also be distributed where needed in schools.

More rapid antigen tests are also being sent to schools in the coming weeks and there will be a limited number of PCR take home tests available at each school as well.

The school board has submitted a request to offer an employee booster clinic but it has yet to be approved.