The school board of Living Sky School Division heard the latest update on how things are progressing in the division while facing the challenges of COVID-19.
Director of education Brenda Vickers reported that the province is expanding rapid testing options for asymptomatic individuals — something that school divisions are interested in getting.
Vickers reported that school divisions are waiting for quote a third-party provider to offer those. According to her report, right now the Miinistry of Health is working with Sask Builds and Procurement on developing a request for pre-qualifications tender for third party providers to deliver testing.
There was also an update on where things stood in the division with respect to level 3 of the Saskatchewan Safe Schools Plan. Vickers noted only one school in the division was at level 3 at the moment, that being North Battleford Comprehensive High School, meaning that “sometimes (students are) at school and sometimes they’re at home.”
Moving to Level 3 was recommended by Dr. Saqib Shahab back in November for high schools with more than 600 students.
Vickers acknowledged there has been interest from people in whether they would move away from Level 3 and go back to in-class learning in Level 2. But she said the division would wait until about Easter and take a look at what positive cases are around the Battlefords before making a decision of going back to Level 2. For now, they will stick to Level 3 “a little while longer”, she said.
The other activity happening is grad preparations for 2021. A grad committee has been struck and work has started. Vickers said at this point the most cautious approach is to do something virtual or something held outdoors.
The big concern, she said, is the “variant” that has been circulating, based on what the division is hearing in the regular updates they get from Dr. Shahab.
There was a question posed at the meeting about where things stood for COVID-19 protocols in the classroom. Board vice-chair Kim Gartner noted he has heard some grumbling about kids not being able to take them off at their desks, and going forward into the playground.
But the indication from officials at the meeting is that it remains status quo for mask protocols in the schools and that expectations haven’t changed.
