I.3 INCIDENTAL CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS
Policy:
The Red River Valley School Division Board of Trustees believes that the safety of students is of paramount concern when considering an incidental closure of a school or schools.
Protocol:
The decision to close the division’s schools in their entirety or only specific locations shall rest with the Superintendent & CEO of schools.
When considering a closure of all schools or specific locations due to inclement weather, one or more of the following criteria will be considered when making the decision:
a. visibility c. wind-chill factor (-45ºC or lower)
- road conditions d. extremely cold temperatures (-35ºC or lower)
Procedure:
Closure Due to Inclement Weather
The Transportation Supervisor shall relay information to the Superintendent & CEO in regards to conditions at locations throughout the division and surrounding areas.
Temperatures and Wind Chill Factors will be as reported at the James Richardson (Winnipeg) International Airport.
The decision for closure shall be made prior to 6:45 a.m.
The decision to cancel the afternoon bus routes shall be made prior to 2:15 p.m. School principals are required to prepare contingency plans to accommodate students in the event that evening bus routes are cancelled.
The Transportation Supervisor shall establish and maintain a list of contacts for the purposes of assessing driving/road conditions across the Division.
Media announcements shall be made by 7:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. These announcements shall be through the following radio and television stations:
CFAM CJOB CBC-990 CKSB CHSM CTV
Teachers and support staff will not be expected to attend schools that have been announced as closed. It will be expected that teachers will make use of their time at home in a manner beneficial to students and to the school division. In the event that the entire school division is closed, all division staff, with the exception of custodians, will not be expected at the workplace. Wages will not be docked as a result of the closure.
Wherever possible, radio base stations (bus garages and division office) will assist in any communication necessary for the arrangements to safely accommodate students.
See F.13 – Route Cancellation
Closure for Reasons other than Inclement Weather
In the case of closure for reasons other than inclement weather (extended power failures, compromised water supply, etc.) the Maintenance Supervisor shall be in contact with the school principal and forward the information to the Superintendent & CEO who will make the decision for closure. There are no time-lines for these types of school closures.
These types of closures will not be communicated via the media. School buses will not be dispatched early. The school will be responsible for contacting parents or other designated persons to pick up students once the decision to close the school has been made. If necessary, schools will use the billet system (used for storm closures) to accommodate students.
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