Southwestern Ontario's largest school board is giving parents one last chance to change how their child will learn, either online or in-person, when school resumes next month.
The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) said Thursday that requests to switch from one learning model to the other can be made by contacting schools directly. Parents have until 12 p.m. on Friday to request a change if one is desired.
After the deadline, parents will not be able to move their child from online to in-person learning or vice versa until later in the school year. Elementary students can make the switch on November 2 and February 8, with the board requiring advanced notice by October 16 and January 22. Secondary students can change models on February 4, with advance notice to be given by January 15.
The majority of parents with children in the TVDSB are opting to send their children back to the classroom when schools reopen on September 14. Of the board's 82,000 students, 65,000 will attend school in-person and more than 12,000 will continue to learn virtually.
The board gave parents a week and a half earlier this month to notify them of their preferred learning model. Parents and guardians of 95 per cent of Thames Valley students responded. That is the highest response rate among large Ontario school boards, according to the TVDSB.
"We are grateful for the outstanding cooperation from parents and guardians to help the board plan for the return to school in September,” Education Director Mark Fisher said in a statement. “The response was exceptional.”
Of the students who will be participating in online learning, 4,000 have requested computer devices from the board - 1,847 for elementary students and 2,192 for secondary students. That includes 1,250 requests for internet-enabled tablets and laptops.
Students returning to class in-person who were loaned devices after schools closed in March will be required to return the technology next month.
The school board announced earlier this week it is delaying the start of the new school year by one week, with staggered starts beginning on September 14.
