The Lambton Kent District School Board has confirmed its virtual learning program will be offered for the 2026–2027 school year for students in Grades 4 through 12 across the board, including families in Chatham-Kent and Lambton County. The board said the early-February 2026 confirmation is intended to give families time to plan ahead before spring registration.
The program is designed for students who benefit from a remote setting for medical reasons or specific learning styles. While thousands of students used online learning during the 2020–21 pandemic, the board’s virtual stream has stabilized into a smaller, permanent option of roughly 200–250 students (about 60 elementary and 160 secondary, according to local reporting).
For secondary students, virtual courses also help satisfy the Ontario Ministry of Education’s online-credit graduation requirement under PPM 167, which requires students to earn two online learning credits as part of their Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Families who choose the virtual stream are generally required to commit to the online format for the entire school year; transfers between in-person and virtual programming are typically only considered in specific circumstances.
The board requires parents or guardians to provide proof of residency at the start of each school year; the LKDSB release specifies proof of Ontario residency, and the board’s policy has enforced residency within LKDSB boundaries for access to the free public virtual program. Education officials said confirming the virtual option early helps parents decide which environment best supports their child’s well-being. The board emphasized that in-person learning remains the standard for most students while preserving a flexible path for those who need or prefer an online option.
