5 Mississauga schools’ absence rates surpass 25 per cent

On the third instructional day since Family Day weekend, five schools in Mississauga reported that one-quarter of their staff and students.

Due to the Ontario government now only monitoring absence rates in schools, it is unclear how much COVID-19 contributed to children, teachers and other education workers being unable to attend. The current system, which replaced case reporting last month, involves schools self-reporting absences each month. The data is then posted online the following morning.

On Thursday, the day that Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said mask mandates will be lifted in schools at the same time when they are removed for public settings, Peel Alternative School had a city-high 46.2 per cent absence rate. Sir Oscar Romero Catholic Secondary School was second at 40.3.

Both institutions, though, are heavily focused on alternative learning programs for students whose needs are believed to be better served outside of conventional classrooms. As such, both have often had relatively high absence rates since the monitoring system was introduced.

Three other high schools surpassed 25 per cent. Streetsville Secondary School reported a 31.3 absence rate, which is above the 30 per cent threshold that the province said would trigger an examination of whether a school should temporarily close for in-person learning.

West Credit Secondary School reported a 26.4 absence rate. Erindale S.S. was fifth on the list, at 25.8. West Credit being on the list means that three of the five schools with absence rates north of 25% offer unique educational paths.

Oscar Romero’s offerings include flexible alternative learning, as well as programs for suspended and expelled students. It also offers dual credit college transition, an outdoor education program,, and career opportunities in trades and technology. Peel Alternative South aims to support students age 12 to 18 who have learning needs that are not met in regular secondary schools, with the end goal of helping them re-integrate into a standard learning format.

West Credit is the Peel District public board’s lone vocational high school in Mississauga, along with Judith Nyman in Brampton. It offers students more choices in trades courses than most Peel high schools.

Among elementary schools, Lancaster Public School (15.9%) and St. Bernadette Elementary School (12.1%) reported the highest absence rates in the Peel District public (PDSB) and Dufferin-Peel Catholic (DPCDSB) school boards.