SAINT JOHN, N.B. -- Attendance has been dropping all week at New Brunswick schools, particularly in areas under the red level of COVID-19 restrictions.
Every New Brunswick school district reported a notable drop in attendance Wednesday. The largest decrease was recorded in both the Anglophone East and Anglophone South school districts, where attendance fell 23 per cent.
"Attendance is low," said Saint John Grade 11 student Tyson McGuire on Thursday. "A lot of my friends who were normally around in the orange and yellow phase, their parents have said 'it's too bad, even if they're telling you to go to school, you're staying home.'"
Anglophone South superintendent Zoë Watson told CTV most of the absences in her school district were recorded geographically between Saint John and Sussex.
High school student Rayna Grimmer said the number of students in her Saint John classes have been getting smaller throughout the week.
"There were only five people in one of my classes this morning," said Grimmer, adding she only went to school on Thursday because "attendance is mandatory."
A new case of COVID-19 was reported late Wednesday at Riverview High School. A letter from the school district said RHS would be closed for the rest of the week, with virtual learning being implemented.
