The Ministry of Education announced Thursday that it will allow school boards to make adaptations, which can include smaller class sizes and leasing additional space, to support physical distancing when schools reopen in September.
Although some school boards are being ordered to limit class sizes to 15 students, Neither the Upper Grand District School Board or the Wellington Catholic District School Board is being ordered by the ministry to limit class sizes to 15 students when schools reopen in September.
For instance, elementary school classes in Grade 4 to 8 in the Upper Grand District School Board will continue to be capped at 30 students, with an average of 24.5 per class, said Heather Loney, communications and community engagement officer with the board.
Kindergarten classes have an average of 26 and a cap of 29.
High school classes are funded to a 23:1 ratio, but Loney said some courses in the Grade 9 to 12 curriculum are capped at anywhere from 10 to 31 students.
Families have until Friday to decide whether to send children back to school in person or to stay home and participate in distance learning.
For some school boards, the class size and additional space adaptations will come not from new government funding, but by allowing those boards to access up to two per cent of their operating budget from the prior year’s accumulated surplus.
Boards that do not have sufficient reserves will be provided with $11 million in funding to support the adaptations.
$50 million in one-time funding is also being made available to school boards to upgrade ventilation, air quality and HVAC system effectiveness in schools.
The announcement was made Thursday by Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education.
"This investment and access to reserves will enable more social distancing and improve air quality, and ultimately strengthen the layers of protection to keep students and staff safe,” said Lecce.
Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner said Thursday’s announcement is misleading and that gutting school board reserves is not a solution.
“This ‘we know best’ government isn’t listening to parents and educators,” said Schreiner.
Schreiner also wonders why it has taken the government so long to make this announcement.
“Everyone has been telling them for months that they are on the wrong track. Now with just weeks to go, boards are expected to upgrade their ventilation systems, and find adequate spaces that are safe for our children to learn,” said Schreiner.
The government is passing the buck to local school boards by refusing to mandate smaller class sizes or to provide the funding needed to reduce class sizes,” said Schreiner.
“Being tone deaf comes with a price. Now boards have to scurry to even come close to doing the right thing.” Said Schreiner.
