Some students are still waiting for a teacher

The public school board says it expects all students will be in class and with instructors by Friday

One week has passed since Hamilton’s virtual schools opened, and some elementary students whose parents registered them for remote learning in late August and early September are still waiting to be assigned teachers for their classes.

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) says a growth in enrolment for its virtual schooling program has delayed the start of online classes as the board races to hire enough teachers to fill the remaining vacancies.

The board now says it expects all students will be in class and with a teacher by Friday.

“Because of the tremendous demand for remote learning, it is taking longer than anticipated to build the Remote Day School’s classes, hire and prepare teachers, and begin the teaching and learning process,” the remote school’s principals wrote in a letter to parents on Monday.

“Although some students may be experiencing a delay in getting started with their class, we expect all students to make progress and be on their usual track by the winter holiday.”

The delays have caused frustration among parents who registered their children for remote learning in late August or early September to avoid any potential health risks associated with in-person learning.

On Sept. 11, the board told The Spectator it was “confident” its virtual program would open the following week with a full slate of teachers and finalized classes. However, the program’s complete opening has been delayed several times since then.

The school’s enrolment numbers jumped from 6,300 to 8,700 in early September, forcing the board to find an additional 90 teachers who can oversee the additional 2,400 students.

Peter Sovran, associate director of learning services for the HWDSB, said the increase in enrolment threw a wrench into the school’s opening.

“There are definite challenges when opening a brand new program with 8,600 students especially under these circumstances,” Sovran told The Spectator last week.

“But given that, I think everybody should be proud of what we’ve accomplished. We’re just looking forward to getting everybody else into their classes.”

Hamilton’s Catholic board delayed its virtual school reopening twice in September — first because it said teachers needed more time to prepare, and then again last week due to a widespread power outage across the city.

The Catholic board’s online program began last Wednesday.