Premier Scott Moe. (file photo/CKOM News Staff)

By CKOM News Staff

Sask. government unveils updated Safe Schools Plan

Aug 17, 2020 | 4:19 PM

Premier Scott Moe provided more details Monday on the Saskatchewan government’s updated return-to-school plan.

In a social media post Saturday, Moe had said the government was pushing back the start date for classes from Sept. 1 to Sept. 8, was going to provide $40 million more funding to school divisions as they prepare for students to return to class, and was going to increase testing.

During a media conference Monday, Moe and Dr. Saqib Shahab — the province’s chief medical health officer — offered more information on those topics and others.

The funding, which the province stressed was new money, will come from a $200-million provincial COVID-19 contingency fund.

It comprises $20 million that will be available to school divisions on an application basis for pandemic-related costs including staffing and sanitation supplies, $10 million that will be available for non-classroom options like distance learning (mainly for immunocompromised and medically fragile students), and $10 million that will go to the Ministry of Education to buy masks, personal protective equipment and other supplies for school divisions.

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School divisions must apply for the funding, with more details to be provided to them Tuesday.

As Moe mentioned Saturday, all school divisions in the province are to provide updated information to families by Aug. 26 on the level at which they plan to resume classes.

The government initially stated school would resume at Level 1 — as close to normal as possible — but some divisions already have said they’ll require masks (Level 2) and others have suggested they’ll go to some remote learning (Level 3).

“School divisions are currently preparing plans for submission to the Ministry of Education this week for considerations of altering operations of high-density schools, primarily in collegiate settings, under Level 3 of the Safe Schools Plan,” the media release said.

The extra week before the start of the school year is designed to give teachers and staff more time to get familiar with new protocols, to reconfigure classrooms, and, if possible, to hold virtual meetings with parents to discuss procedures.

Changes will be made to COVID-19 testing in the province — and not just at schools.

According to the release, Regina and Saskatoon will introduce drive-through testing sites which will require only a health card as opposed to a referral from HealthLine.

The province is encouraging all teachers and staff members to be tested before the school year as well as throughout the year. According to the government, “priority access to testing will be established for teachers and school staff in the coming days, with referrals available through 811.”

Voluntary tests also will be offered in schools as part of the province’s increased testing.