Snow day count rises for students as winter hammers region

There have been a record number of school bus cancellations across the region this season.

Another snow day on the roads meant it was another snow day for many schools across Simcoe Muskoka on Thursday, as school buses were cancelled once again and many parents kept their kids home on yet another school day.

In preparing for Thursday’s treacherous conditions, the Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium (SCSTC) officially cancelled all school buses and vans to all regions in the early morning hours.

At the same time, the Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) announced that all of its facilities would be closed for the day.

The first ‘snow day’ of March meant that some kids in the region have well exceeded a week’s worth of school days missed since the beginning of the winter.

The TLDSB confirmed it has had more snow days this year than the last five.

“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority when making the decision to cancel transportation and/or close schools and worksites due to inclement weather,” the board noted in a statement to CTV News. “In our board, there are many remote areas and lengthy travel distances that our transportation providers and staff travel to and from daily.”

The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) on the other hand, confirmed that it only lost one full school day this winter despite all the school bus cancellations.

“We’re confident that we have enough school days and we’ve just heard and discussed with parents that they have nothing to worry about when it comes to that,” said Dana Powell, SCDSB chair. ”Despite the number of bus cancellations, the schools do remain open for learning.”

The local school boards added that students affected by weather are transitioned to online platforms.

In a statement to CTV News, the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) said in part, “With regard to ensuring students are meeting curriculum expectations, our educators adapt their teaching strategies to ensure that the most important topics are covered and the specific expectations are met.”

The SMCDSB said it does not plan to adjust the school year to make up for lost days.

The TLDSB also confirmed that it would follow the school year calendar without modification, but that principals would continue working with staff to come up with learning loss plans when needed to help students catch up.