Sometimes, we have to close schools because of road conditions. There are many factors that come into play, and it’s not always an easy decision.
When the weather is bad, our Director General, along with our Transportation Department, bus companies, and neighbouring school boards and service centres, begin discussing conditions around 5:00 a.m. They look at the day’s weather forecasts and road conditions across both our suburban and rural areas before making any decisions.
A “snow day” closes all of our schools, our adult and vocational centres, and our central school board office. ALL transportation is also cancelled, including to any specialized schools.
We always do our best to inform our families of any cancellations before 6:30 a.m. The decision to cancel is RARELY made the day before.
To put it simply – no. Mother Nature’s timing isn’t always the best, but it isn’t our normal practice to close schools early. Sending students home early is difficult. Schools must ensure a parent is home when younger students arrive; and coordinating bus drivers’ availability is a challenge. The decision to close a school is made very early in the morning, before buses are on the road picking up students.
