Inclement Weather Information

INCLEMENT WEATHER INFORMATION

Dear Parents/Guardians:

With the winter season fast approaching, it is time to share the School District’s procedures regarding inclement weather. There may be times when bus routes will not be operating as usual, or where schools in the district are closed.

BUS CANCELLATIONS

The most likely reason for cancellation of bus service will be for severe winter weather conditions, in which case one or more bus routes in the district may be cancelled. It will be determined by approximately 5:45 a.m. whether to cancel one or more bus routes. This is done in consultation with transportation staff who carefully assess local road conditions after severe weather warnings or events.

It is especially important that you take note of what route(s) your child(ren) ride on.

BUS OPERATIONS DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER

During inclement weather events, there are roadways that are part of regular routing that are initially less maintained. Some of these roadways may be considered unsafe to drive for district school buses. If this determination is made, following the careful assessment by transportation staff, communication will go out to district ridership. The messaging will include affected routes, and if applicable, will also outline alternate safe pick-up locations for affected routes. Communications will be provided through My Ride K-12 and will be posted to the district Facebook page.

If bus routes are running more than 15 minutes behind schedule, drivers will notify the transportation office. The transportation team will then advise the Principals and Vice-Principals of affected schools. Information regarding bus routes running more than 15 minutes behind schedule will also be found on My Ride K-12 and the district Facebook page.

It is recommended to download the My Ride K-12 app for timely updates.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

The closure of schools in the district may occur when we are experiencing severe winter weather conditions, or when it is simply unsafe to drive. Again, it will be determined by approximately 5:45 a.m. whether to close schools in the district after assessing the situation.

WHERE TO FIND BUS ROUTE AND SCHOOL CANCELLATION NOTIFICATIONS

Any notice of official school closures due to weather will be posted to the district Facebook and Instagram accounts.

We will notify local radio and TV media outlets prior to 6 a.m. with information regarding bus or route cancellations and school closures. News announcements usually begin after 6 a.m. Media partners will not be notified about individual route changes.

The following local radio stations will be contacted about inclement weather notifications:

• The Q! (100.3 FM)
• The Zone (91.3 FM)
• CBC (90.5 FM)
• SUN-FM (89.7 FM)
• CFAX (1070 AM)

The following TV stations will also be contacted:

• CTV Vancouver Island
• Global BC
• CHEK News

The school district website (www.sd79.bc.ca) will also be updated with a banner informing you of any closures.

In all cases, the safety of students will be the priority. Parents are equally encouraged to keep safety in mind when determining whether to take your child(ren) to school in the event the district is open during winter weather conditions. It is your prerogative to keep them at home if you feel it is the safest choice. When able, students and families should come to the school grounds in suitable winter footwear, use designated walkways, and only park in designated drop off locations.  

Let us work together to ensure winter weather days can be safe for everyone.

Yours sincerely,

Robyn Gray
Superintendent
Cowichan Valley School District

Click here for a pdf version of this information.