One of the quiet ways school boards bring in money is by allowing international students into their system.
But as John Howitt, director of education for the Lambton Kent District School Board says, that’s not possible during a global pandemic.
“There was an impact to our overall budget, we ended up with about 30% of our normal or anticipated number for international students.”
Last year, the LKDSB hosted between 30 and 40 international students, compared to the usual number of 150.
“It not only enhances the educational opportunities for those students coming, we really strongly believe that opportunity for our students to learn with others across the globe gives our students a strong understanding of the world in whole.”
Howitt says although they are not encouraging international travel right now, everything is in place to accept international students down the road, possibly by next spring.
“We have been approved to receive international students locally, it was an extensive document, about 30 attachments to get that approval from the federal and provincial governments, that remains in place,” Howitt says.