DAN CEARNS, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, for The Standard
DURHAM/KAWARTHA: Elementary and secondary school students will not be returning to schools for the 2019/2020 school year. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the province of Ontario announced, on Tuesday, May 19th, they are keeping schools closed for the remainder of this school year. “This wasn’t an easy decision to make, but it was the right decision. We’ve made the decision to put our kids’ safety first,” Premier Doug Ford said, at a recent press conference. The provincial government is working on plans on how to safely open schools in September for the 2020-2021 school year. “As we look forward to September, I want parents to know that we will be introducing new protocols, new standards, to ensure students can return to class safely. We will announce the plan for September’s reopening before the end of this school year,” Education Minister Stephen Lecce said. The government also made a promise to students. “All students who were on track to graduate from secondary school before the initial school closure order was made in March will be able to graduate, and all students will receive report cards,” read a provincial press release.