WRDSB families worried about class cleanliness when kids return, survey finds

Waterloo region families are concerned about sanitization procedures in area schools if children are to return to classrooms this fall.

That's just one of the findings of a survey conducted by the Waterloo Region District School Board and presented to trustees Monday night.

Boards across the province, including WRDSB and the Upper Grand District School Board, have been asking families, students and staff to share their feelings about in-person and online learning.

That includes what would put them at ease if in-person classes resume.

"The same themes came through for all three groups," said Alana Russell, the chief communications officer for the Waterloo region public board.

"Number one was the cleanliness and sanitization of the space. So that really informs our work because now we know not only do we need to raise our efforts in those areas, which of course we plan to do anyway, but we need to really communicate that to our communities so they feel reassured and secure in sending their children back to school."

Other concerns include:

• Making sure public health regulations are followed. 
• Meeting the social and emotional needs of children. 
• Ensuring the working and learning environment is suitable for working and learning. 
• Making sure cleaning and sanitization supplies are available to all students and staff.

The board is using the summer months to procure personal protective equipment, dividers, wayfinding markers and other supplies to make sure students can navigate the schools safely when they return, Russell said.

More than 8,000 families of students in grades 4 to 12 responded to the survey, she added.

Three school options for fall

The Ministry of Education has asked schools to prepare for three possible scenarios for the coming school year, she said: full-time distance learning, full-time in-person learning with improved health and safety measures, and a hybrid of the two.

"That's where a lot of our focus has been because the intention behind that is to limit the amount of students in a school, therefore cutting down on their exposure," Russell said.

"We're also trying to cut down on their interactions, improve our cleaning processes in the school, making sure we're hitting all of the touch points in the school and classrooms. So there's just a lot of moving parts with this, especially with that hybrid model."

The ministry will ultimately dictate what the final return-to-school format will look like, Russell said.

Once that plan is in place, regional public health units will be available to help school boards implement those plans in their local settings, acting medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang told reporters at public health update Tuesday morning.