DATE: February 28, 2022

TO: Members of the Board of Education

FROM: Rhonda Nixon, Superintendent

SUPPORT: Shayne Olsen, Human Resource Services Associate Superintendent; John

Weidrick, District Principal, Human Resources; Claire Macleod, Manager,
Human Resources; Vessy Mochikas, Assistant Superintendent, Inclusive
Education; Mike Bowden, District Principal, Aboriginal Education; Grant Reilly,
Assistant Superintendent, Early Learning and Elementary Education; Bill
Hamblett, Assistant Superintendent, Secondary Education; Rick Kienlein,
Director, Secondary Education; Jake Schmidt, District Principal, Information
Management and Analytics

RE: COMMUNICABLE DISEASE PREVENTION PLAN

(PUBLIC – FOR INFORMATION)

RATIONALE

The Board of Education ensures the health and safety of students and staff by following s. 88
and s. 89 of the School Act, provincial and federal health orders and K-12 sector guidance.

BACKGROUND

Our schools continue to implement the BC Minister of Education’s and BC Provincial Health
Officer’s mandates. On February 4, 2022, we received an update through this Addendum that
indicated that sports tournaments would be permitted:

Sports tournaments are a single or multi-day gathering of three or more sports teams,
who come together outside regular league play for the purpose of teams playing against
multiple other teams, but does not include:

● A gathering where team members compete on an individual basis against

members of other teams, or
● A gathering where the result will decide if a team will advance to play in a
national or international competition.

Schools informed their communities of this change as did the Superintendent through the
Superintendent’s Update. What stayed the same was also reinforced, which was that visitors
continued not to be permitted at that time. The only confusion that we have had to correct is that
school districts do not make these choices; it is the Ministries of Education and Health that
create the K-12 Sector Guidelines for COVID-19 Safety Measures to be followed in schools.
Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, announced the relaxing of restrictions in Public
Health Orders for the community and K-12 settings. The following changes started on February
18, 2022, and these changes were communicated in the Superintendent’s Update:

School gatherings and events.

There are no capacity limits on school gatherings and events where attending staff, students,
and necessary volunteers are all from the same school. This includes:

● Large gatherings, like school assemblies

● Staff gatherings, like meetings or professional development activities

At gatherings between schools, or school events involving participants or spectators from

outside the school, limit attendance to 50 people or 50% operating capacity (whichever is
greater). This includes:

● Arts club performances, like a play or recital

● Sports games and tournaments
Spectators (e.g., parents, caregivers, peers), may be present for gatherings and events (e.g.,
attend performance club theatre productions, inter-school sports games and tournaments, etc.)
within capacity limits.

Proof of vaccination. Proof of vaccination is not required for attendance at school-led

gatherings and events.

Visitors. Visitors are no longer limited to those supporting activities of direct benefit to student
learning and wellbeing.

STATUS

We continue to monitor student and staff absenteeism as a means to determine whether or not
we need to involve Interior Health in assessing safety of schools or district facilities, and
whether we need to engage in a functional closure of a school due to insufficient staff.

Student absenteeism

Student absenteeism rates from February 1-18, 2022 are compared to historical rates over the
last year in our district (Figure 1.0).
Figure 1: Student attendance- absenteeism rates-

Dates Historical Daily District Schools Threshold

Average Average Difference Exceeding Their Absenteeism Letters
+ higher Historical Ave. by 10%+
- lower

Feb. 1 14% 13% -1% Rayleigh (+18%), Pinantan (+13%)

Feb. 2 14% 13% -1% Rayleigh (+12%), Westwold (+14%)

Feb.. 3 14% 16% +2% Aberdeen (+11%), Dallas (+11%), Kay

Bongham (+11%), Rayleigh (+13%)

Feb. 4 Professional Development Day

Feb. 7 14% 13% -1% Blue River (+14%)

Feb. 8 14% 12% -2%

Feb. 9 14% 11% -3%

Feb. 10 14% 11% -3% Sun Peaks (+14%)

Feb. 11 14% 14% No difference Blue River (+34%)

Feb. 14 14% 9% -5%

Feb. 15 14% 10% -4%

Feb. 16 14% 10% -4% Barriere (+10%)

Feb. 17 14% 11% -3% Vavenby (+10%) Barriere Elementary

Feb. 18 14% 15% +1% Blue River (+64%)

In February 2022, district-wide student absenteeism has noticeably improved with 10 of 14

school days reporting student attendance better than the historical average. Thus far,
throughout the month of February, only one school has exceeded Interior Health student
absenteeism thresholds, which resulted in sending out a letter to the school community.

Staff absenteeism

In February, we had a decrease in teaching staff absenteeism (Figure 2.0 and 3.0)
Figure 2.0 Teacher-Percentage of Unfilled Positions

Dates Number of Number Difference Schools Most Functional Closure

requests for unfilled % unfilled Impacted Letters
replacement (25% or greater
unfilled)

Feb. 1 135 1 .7% n/a none

Feb. 2 143 6 4% Haldane none

Feb. 3 157 17.5 11% Barriere (2), Chase none

Feb. 4 NISD n/a n/a n/a none

Feb. 7 135 2 1.5% n/a none

Feb. 8 133 1 .8% n/a none

Feb. 9 135 6 4% Barriere Elem none

Feb. 10 148 7 4.7% n/a none

Feb. 11 150 4.5 3% n/a none

Feb. 14 145 7 5% n/a none

Feb. 15 125 4.5 3.6% n/a none

Feb. 16 129 5.5 4.2% n/a none

Feb. 17 135 5.5 4% n/a none

Feb. 18 167 5 3% n/a none

Figure 3.0 CUPE-Percentage of Unfilled Absences in School-Based Assignments

Dates Number of Number Difference Schools Most Impacted

requests for unfilled % unfilled (25% or greater unfilled)
replacement

Feb. 1 114 63 55.26%

Feb. 2 107 59 55.14% Savona (25%)

Feb. 3 115 67 58.26%

Feb. 4 74 44 59.46%

Feb. 7 92 49 53.26%

Feb. 8 93 45 48.39%
 Feb. 9 93 47 50.54%

Feb. 10 92 40 43.48%

Feb. 11 100 40 40.00%

Feb. 14 86 37 43.02%

Feb. 15 97 48 49.48%

Feb. 16 88 46 52.27%

Feb. 17 89 43 48.31%

Feb. 18 117 64 54.70%

In February, there has been a return to slightly above historical averages for teaching staff
absenteeism compared to this time last year. Rural schools have had more challenges in filling
unfilled positions. However, due to some strategic placement of Teachers on Call into
assignments at Barriere Secondary, Chase Secondary, and Haldane, the impact on student
learning has been minimized

For school-based support staff, we have seen unfilled percentages of CEA positions that have
been above historical averages this year, with 37 average unfilled CEA absences per day in
February 2022, compared to 22 average unfilled in February 2021.

CONCLUSION

We rely on our continuity of learning and operations plans, and we have been able to remain
operational and only close three schools for one day each in the first three weeks of school.
Both student and staff absenteeism are steadily improving in February.

This report is provided as information for the Board’s consideration.

Respectfully submitted,

Rhonda Nixon, PhD

Superintendent

RN:dh
Attach.