Catholic board plans to cut class sizes, hire teachers to help students keep distance

Hamilton's Catholic school board is planning to spend about $3.5 million to cut elementary class sizes and hire teachers to help students physically distance because ofCOVID-19.

The Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB) is set to reduce the number of students in kindergarten and Grade 4 to 8 classrooms, according to chair Pat Daly.

Kindergarten classes will drop from about 23 kids per class to 18or 19, while Grades 4 to 8 will see reduction from roughly 25 students to 22 or 23, he explained.

The city's public school board hasdecided to spend $10.4 million onshrinkingits own class sizes.

Both boards have not reduced Grades 1, 2 and 3 because they already have a limit of 20 people. They've also mandated that all students, regardless of age, must wear a mask while at school and on the busto curb the spread of the virus.

Daly said the planned changes will mean spending about $3 million from the board's reserves and approximately $500,000 provided by the provincial government.

That money will cover the cost of redeploying about 20 teachers and hiring 30-25, he said. The HWCDSB is also working to find space for 50-55 more classrooms.

"With what we've done we've significantly improved the social distancing that will happen in our classrooms," said Daly, noting finding rooms for the smaller classes could prove difficult.

"It will be a challenge, but we'll make it happen."

The board has heard back from about 94 per cent of parents about how their children plan to learn during the upcoming school year. Estimates show about 85 per cent of students will still be in the classroom.

"I can absolutely assure them that our board, our system staff, our principals, our teachers have done and continue to do whatever they can to ensure the health and safety and wellbeing of students and staff," said Daly.

His board has already approved a staggered reopeningduring the first two weeks of schools to give teachers time to instructstudents on proper COVID-19 protocols as they return to class during the pandemic.

"We are all going to need to be flexible, understanding as we enter this school year," said Daly."Clearly things could change quickly and we're all going to need to work together."

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