Inclement Weather Information
An important message about Inclement Weather Procedures.
There may be times during the school year where inclement weather or other situations could cause transportation cancellations or school closures.

Information about transportation changes and school closures will be available on the websites, radio and television stations listed below as soon as it is available. Please do not phone the school for transportation or school closure information.

Websites:
www.dsbn.org
www.nsts.ca

Television Stations:
COGECO Cable 10
CHCH Television
City TV
The Weather Network

Radio Stations:
Every attempt is made to provide the public with information on bus cancellations by the 6:00 a.m. news.
KLite - 102.9 fm        CKTB 610 am                  
Htz 97.7 fm              CHML 900 am
EZRock 105.7 fm                      
Y-108 - 107.9 fm
Wave 94.7 fm

If early dismissal becomes necessary, we will use the emergency numbers you provided on the confidential form which was sent home in September. If your contact numbers have changed, please call the office with your updated information.

PLEASE NOTE: The school may be open even though student transportation has been cancelled. The decision to send children to school is always at the parent’s discretion.

Please click here for printable information.

Message from the Director of Education regarding Inclement Weather

Winter Snowstorms: Cancelling Buses and Closing Schools – How do we decide? 

The District School Board of Niagara covers the 12 municipalities across the Niagara peninsula, from Grimsby, Niagara on the Lake, Fort Erie and Wainfleet. The DSBN has 120 schools with approximately 37,000 students and 4000 staff members. 
Whenever possible, we feel it is important for students to be in class continuing their education. However, student safety is a top priority at the District School Board of Niagara and there are times when weather conditions will force the cancellation of transportation services and the closures of our schools. I would like to take this opportunity to share with you how these very difficult decisions are made. 

Cancelling Student Transportation

When adverse weather conditions are forecasted, Niagara Student Transportation Services gathers information on road and weather conditions. From late the night before and beginning very early in the morning (4:00 a.m.), they gather data from a wide variety of sources, including the bus companies, various municipal and regional agencies, and from NSTS staff performing checks on selected routes to experience the road conditions first hand. NSTS considers the actual weather conditions, the forecasted weather, and the road conditions very carefully. 

Once all available information has been collected and reviewed, the decision to cancel buses is made by NSTS, in consultation with the bus companies, if it is determined that students cannot be safely transported to schools, as well as transported home at the end of the day.

 Closing Schools

The decision to close schools is separate from the decision to cancel transportation services; however, student safety remains our number one concern. The decision to close schools is made by the Director of Education. 
Bearing in mind that schools offer a vital service to our parent communities, I am in constant contact with the Director of the Niagara Catholic District School Board and, after careful consideration, we decide whether it is necessary to close schools. We consider issues such as: 

• Can some students safely walk to school?
• Can some staff safely get to schools to welcome students who arrive?
• Are main roads clear?
• Are there any other circumstances that would necessitate a school closure, such as a power outage, water main burst or loss of heat inside the school
• What are the conditions across the region? We look at whether the inclement weather affects the entire region, or if it is localized to one community
• What is the impact of closing schools? 

There are times when weather conditions will deteriorate throughout the morning, making it necessary to close schools mid-day. This is not a decision that is made lightly as we recognize the impact on students, parents and staff.  In these circumstances, we consider the impact on all stakeholders and how to ensure at all times that the safety of our students and staff is paramount.

The decision whether or not to cancel transportation and/or close schools is made at approximately 6:00 a.m., and that information is immediately conveyed to local radio, television and newspaper outlets and posted on the appropriate websites (www.NSTS.ca, www.DSBN.org). DSBN Superintendents communicate with all principals to advise them of bus cancellations or school closures. 

Despite these measures, the final decision whether or not to send your child to school during inclement weather rests with the parent or guardian.

 Sincerely,

Warren Hoshizaki
Director of Education
District School Board of Niagara