EPSB asks province for thresholds for in-school masking, claiming enforcement difficulty without government support

The trustees of Edmonton's public school division want a meeting with Alberta's new top doctor and clarity on when it is appropriate to resurrect health measures brought in during the pandemic, such as mask mandates.

The trustees of Edmonton's public school division want a meeting with Alberta's new top doctor and clarity on when it is appropriate to resurrect health measures brought in during the pandemic, such as mask mandates.

But a union voice says the board should take action while it still can, as "it's clear that help is not coming from the province."

In a special meeting Tuesday morning, the public school board decided it wants more guidance in dealing with simultaneous surges – a "trifecta," board chair Trisha Estabrooks called it – of what is presumed to be COVID-19, flu and RSV.

Both Edmonton's public and Catholic school divisions have been dealing with an overall illness rate of above 10 per cent.

The level of absenteeism has not reached the same level seen during the worst of the COVID-19 waves. And, the division has been able to fill about 90 per cent of teacher absences, according to Edmonton Public Schools superintendent Darrel Robertson. However, several trustees on Tuesday shared concerns either they felt or had heard from families about student safety and educational impact.

Alberta Health Services provided guidance to school authorities at the start of the new academic year and steps in to help when an outbreak is declared at a school.

However, the public school board wishes for thresholds that would trigger specific protocols.