Three Toronto-area boards say they've seen a surge in parents opting to keep their kids out of the classroom during the COVID-19 pandemic in the eleventh hour, further complicating the already difficult task of co-ordinating classes.

"In order to maximize instruction time for students, school boards and school authorities are encouraged to start their school year by Sept. 1."

Dozens of school boards intended to close Monday as the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Ontario government were stuck in contract negotiations.

Global News has reached out to a number of boards that are planning to shut down classes Monday should a strike happen, and gathered their responses.

The following is a list of what school boards in Ontario are open and which will be closed.

Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board and York Region School Board sent letters to parents Thursday afternoon advising them to make other arrangements if the strike and school closures happen.

The union says the school boards want too many issues bargained at the central table that the union argues should be dealt with in local talks.

Premier Doug Ford says the province is willing to pay for large municipalities and school boards to review their budgets in an effort to find savings.

Senior government sources say the attrition protection money will be announced Friday, along with school board funding allocations known as Grants for Student Needs.

A spokeswoman for the Ontario Public School Boards' Association says the boards have not received any instructions from the Progressive Conservative Government.