Will local school boards keep virtual learning next year?

After being the norm during COVID-19 lockdowns, it remains to be seen if local school boards will offer virtual learning for students in the 2023-24 school year.

Some school boards in southern Ontario - where demand for virtual learning is still high - plan to continue offering virtual learning next year even before the Ministry of Education’s direction is laid out.

“I think we certainly recognize that it is a mode of learning that some students prefer,” said Lucia Reece, Algoma District School Board director of education, speaking to SooToday after Tuesday’s ADSB Committee of the Whole meeting.

The availability of virtual learning depends on both government funding and the level of student demand, Reece said.

“The Ministry obviously needs to come out with the upcoming grants for student needs, the GSNs, for us to see if there’s going to be any funding available or not.”

“If there’s not - and we are undecided - but if we decide to go down that road that will have to become part of our budget deliberations at that time to find that money, so we’ve not said yes and we’ve not said no. We’re in a wait and see.”

“The good news is that we know what it takes now to put virtual learning in place.”

“We’ve had very low numbers, which is a challenge. I know the Ministry’s encouraging boards with low numbers to look at possibly working together so those are some things that we could explore once we know whether or not there’ll be any funding available.”

“Some kids have told us they love it, some kids have told us they hate it. So, it is a personal preference. The good news is, for a lot of kids, we still offer a lot of online e-learning options and other opportunities online. To create a virtual school, with very low enrolment, is a challenge and obviously very cost prohibitive.”

Reece said that a low percentage of ADSB students are currently learning virtually after COVID lockdowns.

“When the Ministry releases its grants for student needs for school boards we would know in that pot of money whether there’s money to support a virtual school,” Reece said, estimating the ADSB will know more about GSNs by early spring.

“We are still unsure if virtual learning will be offered next year,” wrote Joe Chilelli, Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board superintendent of education in an email.

“This decision would primarily be based on interest, enrolment, specific student needs and any updated expectations from the Ministry of Education,” Chilelli wrote.

The H-SCDSB currently has 41 students registered for virtual learning.