Trustees with the Toronto District School Board have approved a motion during this evening’s regular Board meeting to purchase Level 3 medical grade masks for TDSB students.

 

While students may continue to wear their own mask as per the TDSB’s COVID-19 Mask Procedure, one medical mask per day will be made available to all students until the end of the school year should they wish to wear them.

 

Depending on the number of masks purchased and used by students, the total projected cost of providing this additional layer of protection until the end of the school year ranges from approximately $444,000 to $2 million. As the Ministry of Education will not be funding the purchase of medical masks for students, this cost will need to be supported through the TDSB’s reserve funds.

 

With this evening’s approved motion, TDSB staff will now move forward with ordering the masks and will provide more information to students and families once a confirmed timeline of delivery is established.

 

Quick Facts

 

• Other COVID-19 health and safety measures used in TDSB schools include daily health screening, regular hand hygiene, physical distancing, and the use of HEPA filters in all occupied classrooms/spaces.

 

“Medical masks can be cost-prohibitive for many families. By providing medical masks, the TDSB is ensuring that all students have access to high-quality PPE and greater protection against COVID-19. We continue to urge the Ministry of Education to fully fund and reimburse school boards for all pandemic costs, including providing medical masks for students.”

- Alexander Brown, Chair, TDSB

 

“Building on the TDSB’s stringent COVID-19 health and safety measures, we are taking another step to ensure safer spaces in which to learn. The goal is to ensure medical masks are available to students in the very near future to not only provide enhanced protection, but to provide students and their families with greater peace of mind.”

- Colleen Russell-Rawlins, Director of Education, TDSB