What a winter this has been. The groundhog predicted six more weeks, which means we could be in for much more of the white stuff. Some are happy to make the best of the great skiing, snowmobiling and ice-fishing conditions, while others are hunkering down with a good book and hot cocoa. This overly harsh winter has had its challenges for our schools, including a higher-than-usual amount of bus cancellations. 

Before daylight breaks, we know students and parents eagerly listen to the radio or check the Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium website or in Parry Sound, alerts from the NPSSTS website, to see how the day may unfold. In many cases, students and parents are hoping for different outcomes…and even if you hear a whoop of joy from a happy child, we know some parents are frustrated and left wondering if the buses need to be cancelled so often.

Let’s take a deeper (snow) dive into how the decision to cancel buses is made. 

First things first - it is not your child’s school or the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board that decides to cancel buses when the weather is bad. The Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium (SCSTC) makes the determination in direct consultation with school vehicle operators. In other words, it is the people responsible for transporting our most precious cargo (our children) who decide whether or not they feel it is safe to do so. 

Trust us…these decisions are not made lightly. The process is thorough and consistently applied. And to make the number of cancellations less frequent, the SCSTC even divided the region into zones so that just because buses are cancelled in one area where the weather is bad, doesn’t mean it will be applied to every region in our Board. 

The SCSTC and bus operators care about safely transporting students, and they are also liable if something happens if they choose to send vehicles out in dangerous weather conditions. Does that mean that every time the buses are cancelled the roads are hazardous? Not necessarily - as we all know, predicting weather isn’t always an exact science - cue the rained-out beach day when there was zero percent chance of precipitation. However, the SCSTC and the school vehicle operators have a pretty impressive system that helps them make the right decisions. Let us tell you a bit more about that. 

Making the Decision

How exactly do they go about making the tough decision? You know, the decision that they know people just won’t be happy with….no matter what it is! 

Step 1:

The SCSTC requests a representative from each operator branch to serve as a “Snow Captain.” The SCSTC confirms that there is a minimum of one snow captain for each geographic area.  The snow captains review road and weather conditions in their assigned areas.  

Step 2: 

On days when inclement weather is forecast, the bus operators review local weather and road conditions throughout the region before 5:30 am. A combination of School Vehicle Operator Management, Safety Personnel and Senior Drivers undertake many processes to review current local road and weather conditions, including:

• driving their local areas to determine current road and visibility conditions;

• consulting local townships to confirm plows are out clearing roads;

• consulting other available local services and resources regarding local road conditions.

Step 3: 

Early morning assessments of road and weather conditions are reviewed during a 5:30 a.m. conference call between the SCSTC and the Snow Captains. Factors considered for cancellations include:

• assessment of road conditions;

• assessment of current and forecasted weather information;

• assessment of visibility as it relates to the safe operation of school vehicles;

• assessment of current and forecasted precipitation in the form of snow accumulation and freezing rain as it relates to the safe operation of school vehicles;

• confirmation if snow plows have been out on the roads;

• additional information on road conditions from available local services and resources.

Step 4: 

The SCSTC communicates cancellations of any impacted weather between 6 and 6:30 a.m. Staff and families are encouraged to visit the SCSTC website and sign up for notifications. All information related to cancellations can be found under the FAQ section of their website. 

We hope this gives our families a bit more information about how and why buses are cancelled. And even though students may not want us to remind you, please do remember… OUR SCHOOLS ARE OPEN for student learning. . . rain, shine or snowsquall.