Dear Parents/Guardians:

As a follow-up to my letter of September 16, 2020, Bluewater District School Board has begun the elementary reorganization process. We and other districts across the province engage in this exercise annually following the September start-up. This process ensures school classrooms meet provincial class size requirements within Ministry of Education timelines. Teachers and classrooms are removed where enrolment has declined and added to schools where enrolment has increased.

Since we are providing both in-person and remote learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some added challenges to this year’s reorganization process. In some areas, we have lower student enrolment in our in-person schools due to our new remote learning schools. For our September start-up, we did not reallocate staff in our in-person schools. This had given students time to learn the new health and safety routines.

It has become evident that our current situation is not sustainable from a financial and staffing perspective. The additional provincial funding we recently received and our available reserve funds are simply not enough to support staffing costs throughout the year. This is an issue facing many school boards across the province. We are now required to reorganize our schools to ensure we are staffed appropriately in both our in-person and remote schools.

Please be advised that any students impacted by the reorganization will be reassigned to their new classrooms on October 19, 2020. Schools will contact parents/guardians October 14 – 16, 2020 to let them know if their child is impacted by the reorganization. We recognize that reorganization can be upsetting for students and staff who have begun to establish routines and bond as a unit. This already challenging process is amplified by the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic. However, we know that our caring and professional school staff will work to support all students in a smooth transition to their new classrooms as in the past.

As the reorganization will involve creating some new student cohorts, Public Health has been made aware of the plan. Classrooms will continue to adhere to the protocols designed to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Thank you so much for your support, patience, and understanding as we work through the reorganization process. We are committed to providing a quality education for every student in a safe, accepting, and caring environment. If you have any questions, please contact the school your child attends.

Sincerely,

Lori Wilder
Director of Education
Bluewater District School Board