The Halifax Regional School Board (HRSB) is changing the way they tackle storm days.
As we get closer to the winter months, HRSB is letting parents and guardians know there are two new possibilities when it comes to handling inclement weather this school year.
“We know we’re getting into that season where the likelihood of having some cancellations is rapidly upon us so we are making some changes to how we manage that,” said HRSB spokesperson Doug Hadley.
New guidelines for school and/or bus cancellations due to inclement weather
There are two changes to how HRSB will handle potential storm days.
The first is that the school board is introducing the possibility of a delayed opening for school of two hours.
“If there are days when the conditions are such that we think we just need some more time, that we can open two hours later rather than trying to suggest that we need to close for the entire day,” said Hadley. “Not sure that that will happen but it’s one more option available to us.”
The second change revolves around how students will be dismissed if weather deteriorates during the day and schools need to close early.
“We’re going to dismiss students who walk at their lunch hour as we always have but instead of giving bus students a set time for dismissal, we’re going to dismiss the bus students two hours earlier than their normal dismissal time,” said Hadley.
“That will stagger when the pickups will be and hopefully lead to a less chaotic dismissal.”
Changes follow record setting snow days for students
According to the statistics from the Halifax Regional School Board, there were almost as many school closures during the 2016-17 school year then the previous two years combined.
- 2016-17: 9 ½
- 2015-16: 5
- 2014-15: 5 ½
- 2013-14: 4
- 2012-13: 4
“I think that everyone would agree that maximizing instructional time for students is a good thing,” said Hadley. “We did have a lot of snow days last year, we had 9.5, that’s the most we’ve ever had.”
Hadley says the school board needs to make decisions regarding school closures on a much higher level than what the weather appears to be.
“We have found over time that there have probably been times where say a freezing rain day would be a good example where if we had delayed the opening by a couple of hours we might have been able to get a part of the school day in,” said Hadley.
WATCH: ‘They can’t win’: Whether schools in the Halifax region open or close, everyone has an opinion
How does the Halifax Regional School Board make a decision to close school and/or buses?
Beginning at 4:30 a.m., HRSB says they start gathering information from a variety of sources when determining whether or not to cancel school.
Those sources including consulting with a meteorologist to discuss the forecast and the impact the weather will have on the road conditions as well as speaking with Stock Transportation, which provides busing for students.
HRSB says by 5:30 a.m., staff make recommendations to the board’s superintendent based on the information they have gathered and determine if it is safe to have students and staff on the roads and sidewalks. If it is, schools will remain open. If it’s determined not to be safe, classes will be cancelled.
Officials say their goal is to make a decision about whether or not classes will go ahead as close to 6 a.m. as possible.
READ: Number of snow day school closures mounting in Nova Scotia
How to find out if school is cancelled in HRM
HRSB says there are several ways for people to find out if school is open or closed during inclement weather.
One way is by checking the Halifax Regional School Board website or by following HRSB on Twitter.
Parents and guardians can also sign up to be notified by email or text message or call the information line at 902-464-INFO to find out when school is cancelled.
You can also check local news sources like Global News for the latest cancellations during storms.
READ MORE: Spring storm prompts closures and cancellations in Nova Scotia
Buses can still run if school is cancelled, have a plan in place
HRSB says there are times when officials decide to keep schools open but choose to cancel bussing because of poor road conditions.
The school board says parents and guardians must use their own discretion when it comes to sending their child to school – and that students who are unable to attend school due to the weather and/or bus cancellations will not be penalized if assignments are given that day.
HRSB says the weather in Nova Scotia can be unpredictable and is encouraging people to have a plan in place.
That includes making sure your child knows where to go if school is cancelled early, making sure children are dressed properly for the weather conditions and having a back up plan in place for childcare if schools are closed or delayed in opening.