Some Ontario students return to class for first time since COVID-19 pandemic began

TORONTO — Students in Ontario will begin returning to the classroom in person today for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The province shuttered all schools on March 13 after cases of coronavirus disease began to rise.

This fall, boards will offer a mix of in-person classes and online learning for students who opt to stay home.

Some boards in different parts of the province will reopen schools today, while others will begin to restart over the next two weeks.

Last month, Education Minister Stephen Lecce gave boards permission to stagger school reopenings if they required more time to put pandemic safety protocols in place.