The Lambton Kent District School Board (LKDSB) has confirmed that it will offer a virtual learning option for both elementary and secondary students during the 2025-2026 school year.
This is for students in Grades 4 through 12.
According to the school board, 60 elementary students and 160 high school students were enrolled in virtual learning for the current school year. Those students will be automatically pre-registered for virtual learning, as is the case for students attending in-person classes.
If parents or guardians want to transition their child into a different type of learning for the 2025-2026 school year, they must notify their current school by February 28, 2025, to request a programming change.
In 2020-2021, LKDSB said 2,000 elementary and 1,100 secondary students were enrolled in online learning.
Participation in online learning seems to have plateaued since the pandemic, the school board said. It added a similar number of students is anticipated to participate in the program next year.
"Families continue to choose online learning for a variety of reasons," said Mary Mancini, Superintendent of Education at LKDSB. "Some families choose online learning to support medical concerns or to suit family circumstances. In other situations, online is a learning style that best meets the student's needs."
To participate in the virtual learning program, parents or guardians will need to provide proof of Ontario residency at the start of each school year.
It's also a year-long commitment.
"Families will not be able to switch between in-person and virtual learning during the 2025-2026 school year, except under specific circumstances," LKDSB said in a release.
Mancini noted that the school board will continue to review the program on an annual basis and decide year-by-year whether to continue offering it as a learning option.