The Superintendent of the Kamloops-Thompson School District is giving parents and students an idea of what the next school year could look like.

Terry Sullivan says there will still be some COVID protocols in place, even though kids 12 and older are slowly getting vaccinated.

“We’re talking about a new normal for September. We will no longer have to have students in cohorts, but daily health checks will remain in place as will hand sanitizer,” he said during this week’s school board meeting.

“[So far] there’s been no commitment with respect to the requirement to wear a mask in schools.”

As of last week, Sullivan says less than ten per cent of kids between the age of 12 and 17 have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine, though that number is expected to ramp up. Kids between the age of 12 and 17 have been able to book vaccine appointments since May 19.

“We’ve been told that there will be considerable emphasis on having ages 12 to 17 vaccinated, but as of last week, we were advised only six per cent of that age group has been vaccinated,” he added.

The last day for the 2020-21 school year is June 29 with a non-instructional day on June 30. As it stands, kids in the Kamloops area are set to return to class after summer break on Sept. 7.

“We expect to hear about school startup in September when they make the next major announcements on restrictions in the middle of this month,” Sullivan added.