Four Brantford schools surpass 30 per cent absent threshold as province launches COVID-19 reporting portal
It's been nearly a week since Ontario schools reopened to in-person learning and information on school closures and absenteeism rates is now posted online.
Unlike how COVID-19 cases in classes were handled before the holiday break, boards are no longer required to report each staff or student case and full classrooms aren't being dismissed if someone tests positive for COVID-19.
Instead, student and staff absenteeism is being tracked. If 30 per cent of the school population is absent, a letter will be sent home in conjunction with public health notifying parents and reminding them of infection prevention and control measures.
The 30 per cent threshold will not automatically trigger a school closure, but a pivot to remote learning could be considered at that time.
On Monday morning, a provincial portal displaying absenteeism rates at schools across Ontario went live. The portal shows data from the day before, so information on the portal Monday was reported Friday.
Numbers includes all absences, including those unrelated to COVID-19.
As of Friday, four Brantford schools have surpassed the 30 per cent absenteeism threshold:
- Graham Bell-Victoria PS, 43.3 per cent
- Central PS, 35.7 per cent
- Centennial-Grand Woodlands PS, 32.9 per cent
- Bellview PS, 31.1 per cent
According to a spokesperson with the Grand Erie District School Board, many students at Bellview and Central Public Schools arrived late to class, which were recorded as absences. Late attendance updates showed both schools were below the 30 per cent threshold.
The school board added that Centennial-Grand Woodlands Public School and Graham Bell-Victoria Public School serve as hubs for enrolled remote learners who are not physically in class. The board said it included absences for remote learners, but the province only compared absences to the total number of in-person learners rather than both remote and in-class students.
Three other Brantford schools are nearing the 30 per cent mark:
- Major Ballachey PS, 28.4 per cent
- Prince Charles PS, 25.8 per cent
- Tollgate Technological Skills Centre SS, 27.5 per cent
As for Waterloo Region, because Friday was a PD Day for local Catholic and public elementary schools, high schools are the only Waterloo Region institutions on the list.
The highest absenteeism reported thus far in Waterloo Region is at Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School in Cambridge, where 27.1 per cent of staff and students were absent Friday.
That's followed by Southwood Secondary School in Cambridge, which sits at 26.5 per cent as of Friday.
The provincial website also lists the number of schools that have had to close due to COVID-19. Right now 16 of Ontario's 4,844 schools are shut down. The exact schools are not listed, that information is only available from individual school boards.
Absenteeism rates for schools across the province can be viewed on the portal here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.