Parents may have wait until 5 p.m. Sunday to find out whether schools will be closed Monday, which is when thousands of education workers have threatened to walk off the job.
The 55,000 workers are represented by CUPE and the union says it and the province agreed to a bargaining deadline of 5 p.m. Sunday to provide parents and caregivers with as much notice as possible about school closures.
The parties will spend all weekend at the table negotiating.
If the workers do strike, the majority of schools in Durham would have to close over health and safety concerns.
CUPE education workers previously walked off the job earlier this month after the province brought in legislation forcing a new contract on them and banning them from striking.
The issue of wages has since been worked out and the province rescinded the bill.
CUPE says now, the two sides are feuding over staffing levels.
