The number of students choosing to learn remotely come September is significantly higher in some of Ontario's COVID-19 hot spots, as the fourth wave of the pandemic has some parents worried about the risk of infection in schools.
The Toronto District School Board - the largest board in the province - is reporting that about 14 per cent of its students have opted out of in-person learning.
The Peel District School Board - in one of the regions hardest hit by COVID-19 - says that 18 per cent of elementary students and 20 per cent of high schoolers will stay home.
Elsewhere in the province, school boards are reporting vastly different numbers.
The Limestone District School Board based out of Kingston, Ont., said only 2 per cent of students will learn remotely when school resumes, while the Halton District School Board and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board both say roughly six per cent of their students have chosen the virtual learning option.
But one Ottawa-Carleton parent whose kids are headed for in-person learning said she's second-guessing her decision due to the fourth wave of the pandemic, which is fuelled by the highly contagious Delta variant.
In Niagara, both the Catholic and DSBN believe they will receive far fewer students learning online this year.