The director of Hamilton’s public school board is suggesting students take home their personal belongings on the Easter long weekend in the event of a sudden return to remote learning.
On Tuesday, the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board’s (HWDSB) Manny Figueiredo made the suggestion in a message to guardians and students saying it’s “unclear” if and when the Ministry of Education will direct a move from in-person to remote learning due to rising COVID-19 cases in Ontario.
Figueiredo used Dr. Davey Elementary School, which closed down for two weeks amid an outbreak, as an example of the challenges the board has been dealing with in terms of staffing levels tied to public health measures.
“A reduction in staffing levels, as a result of staff being identified as a close contact by public health, may impact schools staying open,” Figueiredo said.
HWDSB chair Dawn Danko told Global News the problem is with necessary health measures when a case is discovered, usually requiring individuals to self-isolate for up to 14 days.
“What happens when we have a lot of cases is we have people having to isolate as they wait for contact tracing, which means we have absences. So our absent rates are very high,” said Danko.
The chair says the move from in-person to remote is a matter of time needed by the board to prepare for the switch, particularly when it comes to making sure families have the electronics required for e-learning.
“So the more notice we have, if we know we’re going into remote, we can do that while they’re in the school setting before that transition happens,” Danko said.
“If an announcement comes late, that means we need to take a day or two to figure out how to get devices to those families.”
Danko says the board is now awaiting word from the province on whether the delayed spring break, set for the week of April 12, will go ahead. Earlier in the week, Premier Doug Ford hinted that rising COVID-19 case numbers in Ontario may postpone or alter the break again.
Public health reported 10 Hamilton schools in outbreaks as of Tuesday involving 30 cases, all at the elementary level.
The HWDSB reported 64 COVID-19 cases last week with 45 among students and 19 in staff. So far this week, the board has 30 in just three days.
Danko says despite the numbers, cases are low among the approximately 50,000 students in its 103 schools.
“We’re not seeing spread of cases in schools, so the measures that we’re taking are working,” said Danko.
In efforts to prevent spread, the HWDSB is continuing with its voluntary testing of asymptomatic students. The next scheduled clinics are set for April 7 at Bernie Custis on King Street East and Westdale on Main Street West.
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