To reopen safely, York Region school board to use $30M from its $62M in reserves

YRDSB's reserves will be used to 'meet operational needs including items such as personal protective equipment'

Yorkregion.com
August 17, 2020
Dina Al-Shibeeb

After schools provincewide received the green light from the education ministry Thursday that they can tap into their reserves, York Region District School Board told Yorkregion.com that it will use up to $30 million from its total reserves of $62 million.

Stephen Lecce’s ministry allowing boards to tap into their reserves comes after calls from parents and educators that the current funds weren’t necessarily enough to safely reopen schools and ensure proper social distancing amid fears of a second wave of COVID-19.

“Our board plans to use a portion of reserves to fund safety measures and other costs as we look to reopen schools,” YRDSB spokesperson Licinio Miguelo said.

Miguelo explained how “previously, boards were able to use one per cent of the annual budget from reserves, or approximately $15 million for YRDSB, according to the announcement,” he said.

“Boards may apply for approval from the ministry to use up to two per cent of their own reserves, in YRDSB’s case up to $30 million,” he added.

Lecce on Thursday said how the province’s funding now totalled to $900 million provincewide to bolster safety and mitigate concerns after unlocking boards' reserves money.

In response, Miguelo said the funding “isn't new.”

He added, “The Minister announced that Boards will be able to reallocate a greater portion of existing Board reserves for operations related to the reopening. Use of the board’s reserves will be necessary to meet operational needs including items such as personal protective equipment and other items.”

Also, during Lecce’s announcement, he made a statement on synchronous learning and how Zoom-style learning is going to be the way for parents who opt for e-learning.

On Friday, YRDSB parents had to answer a survey on whether they will send their children to schools or take e-learning as their modus operandi for education.

Following COVID-19’s outbreak in Canada and the world, e-learning ensued as the last-minute resort to continue education. However, some parents complained that the learning wasn’t synchronous while other schools, including private schools, continued with Zoom.

When asking Miguelo about the Zoom-style remarks made by Lecce, the YRDSB spokesperson said, “Students will engage in live, online learning, using various platforms, including Google Classroom.”

Google Classroom was used by YRDSB schools when its schools switched to e-learning.

He continued, “We are also investigating other online engagement platforms, such as Zoom.”

“We are looking forward to welcoming our students back to school,” he added.

The spokesperson described how, “We will be considering staggering entry for students over the first week to enable students, families and staff to familiarize themselves with new safety protocols.”

“As plans are finalized, we will continue to communicate them with families.”