Some caught off guard by Wednesday school closure notifications
Many parents woke up Wednesday morning to the news that their child’s school bus was cancelled due to inclement weather.
And depending on the school board, some parents received notification that ‘snow day’ might now mean ‘learn from home day.’
Ryan Readings, the administrative officer at Southwestern Ontario Student Transportation Services, says based on real-time information, some bus routes had to be cancelled due to icy road conditions.
The cancellations impacted several school boards in the region, including the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB), which sent out a letter to parents notifying them of a new ‘inclement weather update’ that has been issued for this year and will require students to pivot to online learning whenever buses are cancelled.
"From the start of the pandemic we have followed a "do no harm" policy, we are going to make sure no student is disadvantaged, they will not be marked absent. The learning will continue they will be provided work on their digital platforms, and we want to keep everybody as safe as possible," said Mark Fisher, director of education for TVDSB.
Fisher says they've already received feedback regarding the new change.
“We've heard from many parents that appreciate our enhanced safety procedure, but we know for some in the community it is an inconvenience, and we apologize and regret that inconvenience, but we do want to keep everybody safe and encourage those students to be vigilant in their learning remotely,” said Fisher.
Meantime, the London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB) says staff remain committed to keeping schools open and are not considering remote learning on snow days at this time.
“The short turnaround time I think is the biggest challenge for families. In the event that we know we could continue to keep a school open, that is what we are committed to first, where remote learning would be a second option,” said Vince Romeo, director of education for LDCSB.
Southwestern Ontario Student Transportation Services (SOSTS) has spotters that go out in the morning combing through the city to ensure travel is safe, and if it's not, they notify the school boards of any bus cancellations
“Whether it’s weather, or it’s because of driver shortage, or they’re isolating, they have to let us know by 6:30 every morning, and that's when we communicate the information to the principle, to the boards, and to the parents,” said Ryan Readings, CWO of SOSTS.
Weather aside, Readings says they continue to deal with a driver shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and can't just simply swap drivers from one region to another to accommodate sick calls, or weather related cancellations.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.