Most parents will not be sending their kids back to school Monday.
The Vernon School District will see 3,038 students back in class starting June 1, out of the 8,775 enrolled in the 19 schools (including international students), according to its survey findings.
That’s 35 per cent of all students.
“About 50 per cent of elementary and 30 per cent secondary,” superintendent Joe Rogers said.
The breakdown of students returning (and percentage) is as follows:
- Lavington – 90 (55 per cent)
- Beairsto – 344 (54.6 per cent)
- Hillview – 210 (52 per cent)
- BX – 217 (49.7 per cent)
- Coldstream – 175 (47.8 per cent)
- Okanagan Landing – 166 (46.5 per cent)
- Harwood – 189 (42 per cent)
- Alexis Park – 128 (40.2 per cent)
- Mission Hill – 144 (40 per cent)
- Kidston – 139 (39 per cent)
- J.W. Inglis – 128 (34.7 per cent)
- Silver Star – 152 (33.8 per cent)
- Clarence Fulton – 195 (28.3 per cent)
- W.L. Seaton – 253 (28.2 per cent)
- Kalamalka – 151 (25.8 per cent)
- VSS – 249 (24.7 per cent)
- Cherryville – 17 (21.5 per cent)
- Charles Bloom – 72 (20 per cent)
- International students – 21 (nine per cent)
- Alternate programs – 28 (seven per cent)
Parents raised concerns about the unavailability of busing, maintaining social distancing and what the school day will look like, while one parent said they won’t be sending their child as they don’t want them using hand sanitizer.
Many parents whose childrent won’t be returning this year questioned the point of sending their students to class for one or two days a week, for most students, as the academic year ends June 25.
Others have concerns about the spread of germs, including COVID-19.
But Interior Health has stated that the risk of the coronavirus is low in schools.
READ MORE: Risk of COVID-19 low in schools, Interior Health states
The school district also has a comprehensive control plan and students are being reassured plans are in place to keep them safe.
“Each school is sending out a return to school safety video detailing all of the safety measures that will be in place for June 1,” Rogers said.
Seaton student Mathias Hartwig helped put together some of the video for his school’s video. And he’s excited to get back to class.
“It’s going to be pretty nice because we’ve been so disconnected for such a long time,” the Grade 11 student said.
READ MORE: Vernon back-to-school survey due Friday
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