When do school boards in the GTA close due to winter weather?

Meteorologist Jessica Smith has an update on weather conditions around the GTA and southwestern Ontario including strong winds and freezing temperatures.

A storm has hit parts of southern and northern Ontario, covering some areas in dozens of centimetres of snow.

Environment Canada had predicted accumulations of 60 centimetres in some parts of the province and warned of near zero visibility at times due to the wintry conditions.

Toronto saw some flurries and was the subject of a special weather statement but was largely spared by a major winter-weather wallop and no major school closures were announced.

So, what does trigger a school board to close its doors or suspend bus service during inclement weather?

CTV News reached out to some of the boards in the Greater Toronto Area to find out.

Toronto District School Board

According to the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), the decision to close schools, buses, or programs due to snow or cold weather is “not taken lightly” as it impacts its roughly 239,000 students and their families.

As such, the board said that very early in the morning on a day when inclement weather is expected, their team will look at various pieces of information including current and forecasted weather conditions and road conditions and make a decision on whether or not to keep schools open. If a cancellation or closure is necessary, that information will be posted on the TDSB website and TDSB social media by 6 a.m.

Sometimes, school buses will be cancelled, but schools will remain open during significant weather events. This is because approximately 93 per cent of its student body does not rely on buses to get to school, the board said.

“That means, if school buses are cancelled, it is still possible for students to get to school by walking or other means,” reads the TDSB website.

A spokesperson for the TDSB told CTV News that last year, there was only one system closure on Feb. 13 during one of three snowstorms that month. Up to 26 centimetres of snow fell on Feb. 12, which was the largest single snowfall recorded in Toronto since Jan. 2022.

Any school closures made by the TDSB will be published here.

Peel District School Board

The Peel District School Board (PDSB) says that if it becomes unsafe to operate schools due to “severe inclement weather” all schools and offices will be closed to staff and students.

“In these cases, all staff and students will be informed that all Peel District School Board schools will be closed for the day,” the PDSB website reads.

In the event of a school closure or bus service suspension, the board said that information will be shared publicly at 6:15 a.m. If a specific bus route is cancelled in what PDSB describes as a “weather zone,” schools in that zone will remain open.

Information about PDSB school bus cancellations and/or school closures can be found here.

Durham District School Board

The Durham District School Board (DDSB) relies on Durham Student Transportation Services for its school buses, whose policy states that bus routes will be occasionally cancelled due to weather, but the schools themselves may remain open.

Like PDSB, the school bus cancellations are determined based on various zones throughout the region. On its website, the transportation company (which also services Durham Catholic schools) says that it will confer with officials starting at 4:30 a.m. before deciding by 6 a.m. to keep buses on or off the road.

“If all school buses are cancelled the message will state ‘All school buses for both the Durham Public and Durham Catholic schools are cancelled. Schools remain open.’ Similarly, if schools are closed the message will indicate the closure,” the Durham Student Transportation Services website states.

In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for the board said:

“When school buses are cancelled due to weather, DDSB schools remain open except in rare circumstances. School closures have only occurred a couple of times in recent years, and only in extreme conditions.”

Information about DDSB school bus cancellations and/or school closures will be posted here.

York Region District School Board

The York Region District School Board (YRDSB) has a policy for both cold weather and inclement weather days, which states that when either is declared, the decision will be made by 6 a.m.

On an extreme cold weather day, the board says that roads are clear, but extreme cold temperatures make it difficult for buses to operate reliably, which in turn creates a safety risk to students.

On an inclement weather day, road or weather conditions make it “impossible” to operate a school bus safely.

“When extreme cold or inclement weather days are called, school transportation, including buses and taxis, are cancelled in the morning and afternoon. Schools will remain open,” the board’s website reads. It notes that on rare occasions, schools and board locations will also be closed.

If the YRDSB choses to cancel school buses and/or close schools, that information will be posted here.

Halton District School Board

The Halton District School Board (HDSB) says it will make its decision to cancel transportation and/or schools by 6:30 a.m.

“When schools are closed due to inclement weather, both in-person and e-learning support will not be provided. If buses are cancelled but schools remain open, in-person and e-learning courses will continue as scheduled​,” the board’s website reads.

If a bus is cancelled due to weather but the school remains open, parents and guardians who keep their children at home must report their absence.

In a statement to CTV News Toronto, a spokesperson for HDSB said the board closed schools one day during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Information about school bus cancellations and/or school closures at HDSB can be found here.