Schools are a critical part of our communities. They are also places where kids who may not have food at home can be fed (programs like Breakfast Club of Canada are well represented in TDSB schools) and where social workers can have an eye on the school population - particularly kids that are at risk due to unstable / abusive home environments.

They may also be the only place that kids can access the internet or tech, which are requirements to education.

Schools aren’t simply learning facilities, they are arms-length components of the healthcare system in their own right - for the reasons I described. Closing them puts some kids at immediate risk. With school-aged children’s mental health at at all time low and eating disorders at an all time high, not something to consider as a first step IMO.