School Board urges province to re-consider ending school masking mandate

Jeff Green | Mar 17, 2022

The Board of Trustees of the Limestone District School Board held an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening (March 16) to discuss the pending end of COVID-related special measures in the classroom, school-yard and school transportation services. After expressing their own concerns and hearing from staff, the board decided to instruct board chair Suzanne Ruttan to write a letter to the province requesting a delay in the lifting of some of the measures, particularly masking.

The Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, had indicated last week that individual boards were not at liberty to impose their own restrictions to extend the province-wide measures, which expire on March 21, the first back to class after the spring break.

The letter, which was sent to the province this morning, is re-printed below:

"This letter is a response to the CMOH statements of March 9, 2022 and the Ministry of Education memorandum of March 9, 2022 lifting public health measures in publicly funded K-12 schools in Ontario. In a Special Board Meeting held on March 16, 2022, Limestone District School Board Trustees unanimously approved a motion requesting a two-week extension of the masking requirements for Grades 1-12.

Limestone Trustees fully recognize that as the pandemic evolves, public health measures need to adjust. However, we are gravely concerned about the timing of the lifting of masks as students and staff return to schools after the March Break. It should be noted that these concerns echo those expressed by the Children’s Health Coalition that includes CHEO and Sick Kids. Extending the masking requirement for two-weeks would add a layer of protection that would mitigate the impact of COVID incubation time and align with the two-week masking requirement for anyone who has traveled internationally.

While the provincial directives from March 9 have been received differently by families, a significant number of families feel abandoned by the removal of public health measures. With the removal of masking requirements, Limestone Trustees request additional direction and communication regarding how schools can protect student and staff who are immuno-compromised or who have complex medical needs, and students who are under age 5 and are currently unable to be vaccinated.

In addition, Limestone Trustees are very concerned about the misalignment of masking requirements being maintained on public transportation, but not on school buses. If the close confines of public transportation are a high-risk context, why are school buses deemed differently? It does not stand to reason that students riding a city bus to school would have to mask, while students on school buses can unmask.

Furthermore, extending masking requirements from March 21 to April 4 would also allow a greater number of students 5-11 years old to be fully vaccinated, and a greater number of 12-17 year old students to receive a booster shot.

Limestone Trustees request your urgent consideration of these requests, and a prompt response to our concerns. Granting our request for a two-week extension to masking requirements would provide an additional layer of safety, and help protect the health of students, staff, and families served by Limestone DSB, and across Ontario. 

Sincerely,

Suzanne Ruttan,
Chair, Limestone District School Board