The Board of Trustees of Yellowknife Education District No. 1 has approved a motion to close all its schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year amid COVID-19 concerns. The decision was made the afternoon of March 24th during a Board of Trustees special meeting.
The announcement came eight days after NWT Premier Caroline Cochrane addressed school concerns around the COVID- 19 outbreak saying she consulted with the chief public health officer to close NWT schools until April 14th at the earliest.
At this point in time, YK1, along with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the NWT Teachers’ Association note that their focus is contingency planning, staff wellness and protecting families in our community.
“We will soon pivot to lesson planning and what’s expected of teachers while schools are closed. We expect to learn more later this week and will share information with parents and stakeholders at that time.”
YK1 says they will follow future recommendations of the NWT Chief Public Health Officer as they may be issued, and will work in coordination with the Department of ECE to ensure essential services are provided and to provide whatever assistance may be necessary to support the broader effort to prepare for and respond to the COVID- 19 pandemic.
