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.

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.

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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.

"We all know our kids are resilient. But the real question is: Should we be asking them to continue to be resilient? At what point do we wear out that resiliency?" Saadiq Sumar, whose idea it was to write the province, asked during the meeting.

According to Estabrooks, Robertson – not the board – has the power to reinstate masking rules and make such operational calls.

"Quite frankly, the public has very high expectations right now that this board of trustees can put in place a mask mandate. And we can't," she told reporters.

But Robertson told the trustees Tuesday it is hard to know what decisions to make without data from medical experts, and any decisions that could be made would be difficult to implement without the backing of a higher authority.

"This issue is so divisive in the community that it makes it, practically speaking, a challenge for schools to enforce in the absence of health orders," Robertson commented.

"COVID isn't going away. The flu seems like a particularly bad one this year, from what I hear. But again, I'm not a health official so I don't have that first-hand knowledge. That's where some more health clarity from health officials would really help because we are in different territory right now than we were even during the pandemic."

'LITERALLY NO ONE ELSE'

The board unanimously supported Sumar's motion.

Trustee Marcia Hole told her colleagues she felt the province had "abdicated" its responsibility and downloaded the responsibility onto school jurisdictions.

"I resent that it's implied that we educators have to make any sort of decisions because we're educators… It shouldn't be up to us. And it shouldn't be up to politicians. They're not experts either. It should be up to the chief medical officer," added fellow trustee Jan Sawyer.

Ward H's Nathan Ip said, "If I've learned anything during the last two years, I've learned that we need to be proactive and take preventative actions, but I also think at this time, without an explicit health order, it would be very very difficult to implement further requirements such as masking.

"It's not flu season as usual. We don't live in a bubble. What's happening in our schools is a reflection of what's happening in our community. And I am worried."

Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan sympathizes with school boards who feel it's unfair the decision has been left to them, but called boards and trustees "the last line of defense."

"The province has made it really clear through Premier [Danielle] Smith and her government that they don't believe any steps need to be taken," he told CTV News Edmonton, referencing Smith saying on Monday she would not make masks mandatory in classrooms.

McGowan wrote to school trustees on Tuesday urging them to "use it before you lose it," referring to their current ability to bring back mask mandates.

Smith has pledged to prevent schools from bringing back masking, despite an Alberta Court of King's Bench ruling that a public health order in February which lifted such rules was not her decision, but cabinet's, and therefore a violation of the Public Health Act.

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AFL was an applicant on the case.

McGowan said the ruling proves the provincial government can't prohibit school authorities from implementing mask mandates – for the time being, anyway, if Smith delivers on her promise to block them from doing so.

"If the province isn't going to step up to the plate and protect public health, then it's gotta be the school boards. There's literally no one else."

MASKING HELPFUL: DOC

In a news conference about respiratory season on Tuesday, Edmonton zone specialist Dr. Chris Sikora said his partners at the Public Health Agency of Canada are recommending indoor masking.

He called it "one extra tool in the tool box that we can use to help keep ourselves from getting sick, but also helping reduce the spread to other individuals."

Earlier this week, Ontario's top doctor and premier began to urge residents to start wearing masks again.

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"That's how it should be working," Estabrooks commented.

"The premier's comments earlier this week and last week as well, it seems to suggest that she's not in favour of a mask mandate for schools under any circumstances. To which, I would say, that seems short sighted to me."

On Monday, Education Minister Adrianna LaGrange said her ministry was monitoring the situation in schools.

"Of course we are always concerned about the safety and security of our students and our staff members. We will continue to do what is best for our students and work with our school divisions."

Smith said, "Anyone who feels comfortable to wear a mask should wear a mask. That should be a personal choice, and anyone who wants to make that choice, I support them."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Alison MacKinnon, Adam Lachacz, and The Canadian Press