GECDSB will not reinstate mask mandate in schools, to write letter pushing for enhanced public health measures

The Greater Essex County District School Board will not reinstate a masking mandate or any other health measures in its schools.

Board chairperson Alicia Higgison said they can't legally do so.

“The minister has been clear – boards cannot implement or enforce a mask mandate at the school-board level. We have been advised legally that we as a board of trustees do not have the authority to impose our own health measures in the absence of any government or health agency direction,” she said.

Instead trustees have voted in favour of writing and sending a letter to top provincial officials advocating for COVID-19 measures like masking, social distancing and classroom capacity limits to be reinstated, following high rates of absenteeism.

“We’ve seen it here at Greater-Essex, our staff and families have felt the brunt of high absence rates,” Higgison said.

According to data from the province those rates in Windsor-Essex range from a zero per cent absentee rate to as high as 36 per cent at one school.

The majority of the board agreed to write the letter to Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore and the local health unit.

Trustees Alan Halberstadt and Cathy Cooke, along with both student representatives voted against it.

“This recommendation comes from parents and staff and is not the view of the majority of our students in our board,” student rep Paige Hawkins said.

“This decision should have been made by our Ontario CMOH and our own medical officer of health,” Cooke said. “If he feels that there needs to be a mask policy, he needs to implement it.”

A week ago, Dr. Moore highly recommended wearing a mask indoors but stopped short of a full mandate.

The acting medical officer of health for Windsor-Essex has advised local school boards to make face masks mandatory again in classrooms.

A statement from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit says Dr. Nesathurai has discussed that a broader suite of public health measures for schools introduced by the province would ensure they are applied and enforced consistently across all Ontario school boards.

“During this time of increased disease transmission, all individuals are encouraged to wear masks while indoors and when they cannot maintain two meters of distance between themselves and others,” the statement says.

While Dr. Nesathurai does have authority to issue a mandate he said he prefers the province and chief medical officer of health make the call.

In an emailed statement to CTV News, Minister Lecce said every student has the choice to wear a mask, and that will remain the policy.

“We believe that medical doctors, not school board officials or teacher unions, should make public health decisions. Every student in every school board in Ontario retains the choice to wear a mask, and that policy will be universally respected, as recommended by the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

We will continue to enhance ventilation with 40,000 additional HEPA units, in addition to the 73,000 in schools, 7 million rapid tests monthly, and maintaining enhanced cleaning to keep students safe and in the classroom learning."

- With files from CTV Windsor's Rich Garton.