Hamilton Catholic school board extends deadline to switch between online and in-person classes

Hamilton's Catholic board is delaying its deadline for students to switch between online and in-person classes.

In a letter to parents on Friday, the school board said the next opportunity for elementary students to change classrooms, whether virtual or physical, will be Feb. 1, 2021.

The original deadline was supposed to be during the winter holidays.

Students in the HWCDSB have three opportunities to switch between classes throughout the school year. The first occurred in October, when a net total of 175 elementary students moved from online to in-person classrooms.

The reshuffling often poses logistical challenges for the school board, which has to relocate teachers and resources to accommodate new student placements.

The October shuffle also saw a net decrease of 98 high school students from in-person classes to virtual classes.

The board says it will share information on how to request a change in the coming weeks.

Jacob Lorinc's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows him to report on stories about education.