Lakehead Public Schools asks for virtual learning for all students

Lakehead Public Schools hopes that by Monday, all of its students will be taking their classes online.

Trustees with the board voted Tuesday night to ask the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, and in turn, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education to allow the board to go to an online-only format for at least two weeks, starting March 1.

The request comes as Thunder Bay has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases, said Ellen Chambers, the chair of the board, noting the board can't simply make its students all switch to online learning.

"We don't have that authority. The health unit, in conjunction with the [Medical] officer of health, in conjunction with the Minister of Education, and all the people between need to make that decision."

Chambers said the increase in COVID cases in the city has led to staff shortages, with not enough supply teachers being available this past Tuesday, she said.

She said as of Tuesday, 55 teachers are isolating because of a COVID exposure, along with 570 students. That works out to 7.7 per cent of the total student population.

"It's negatively affecting our schools in a big way," she said, adding there is no stability when it comes to staffing, or for any type of routine for students.

"If we're all virtual, we hope, at least stop what's happening at the schools and it will have everybody having a consistent virtual education."

Chambers said bussing is impacted when a student has a positive COVID test, as that driver is then taken off of their duties. She said this is creating a high workload for the board, who are calling parents daily to cancel classes.

Currently, four schools are doing virtual learning, she said, and 20 classes are also learning online because of COVID cases.

"It eliminates having to spend mountains and mountains of time, dealing with just basically, finding students and making sure everybody knows they're in the right place, that they're not going to school. Tracking down who they are, contacting them, and then the disruption."