The start of the school year in B.C. will be pushed back, meaning Langley kids and parents won’t be heading to schools on Sept. 8 as previously planned.
READ MORE: Return to school to be delayed, says B.C. Education Minister
“It’s ever-changing,” said Langley School District Board Chair Megan Dykeman, of the announcement Tuesday afternoon by B.C. education minister Rob Fleming.
Fleming said the plan now is to get staff back together, including support staff, teachers, and administrators, to finalize how operations will work and then start bringing in students.
The exact date students will return has not been set. More information is expected in about a week.
“As reported in the media, it is my understanding that the Minister of Education has announced a delayed start to the school year with no known exact date,” said Langley superintendent of schools Gord Stewart. “We continue to work with the ministry on clarification on the new timeline for the restart. As our district continues to plan for a return to school in September, our staff are always prepared for any operational changes that evolve. When planning, having more time can be beneficial. I want to assure parents that our staff are working together to ensure we meet the health and safety needs of our students and staff. As mandated by the province, we will be sharing our plan with the community on August 26.”
READ MORE: Return to school to be delayed, says B.C. Education Minister
The extra time is something the B.C. Teachers Federation had been asking for.
Dykeman noted that the district had just this week received information from the Education Ministry about the expectations for how the return to school is to be handled.
The district is still in the early stages of its own more detailed planning, Dykeman said.
The district has to release its own plan publicly to parents and students by Aug. 26, she said.
Staff were taking a relatively slow approach, determined to get the plan right, said Dykeman.
The district is one of the largest in the province, with 23,000 students from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
– more to come