YCDSB schools who had their snow plowing halted this winter will return

All schools under the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) will again have their grounds plowed and salted when snow falls. A school bus sits idle after winter conditions suspended the school transportation service in Toronto on Tuesday, February 16, 2021.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

All schools under the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) will again have their grounds plowed and salted when snow falls.

The board of trustees had previously decided in June to halt snow removal around paved playground areas at select schools, specifically those without portable classrooms – which affected 60 schools in the district. The motion was passed due to the immediate and targeted cost savings, previously concluding the financial benefits outweighed the potential risks.

“Like many school boards across the province, the York Catholic District School Board is in a budget deficit,” Mark Brosens, senior manager of communications at the YCDSB, told CTV News Toronto in an emailed statement Friday, adding the board made the decision to help reduce the projected $13.6 million deficit without impacting the students’ in-classroom learning.

During a special board meeting Tuesday, the board unanimously voted in favour of rescinding their previous decision to limit its snow plow removal, days after the winter storm blew across the GTA.

At the meeting, Maria Iafrate, Vice-Chair of the YCDSB and trustee of Richmond Hill, pointed to the safety of students and staff, and the mild weather in November and December (which contributed to cost savings) as part of the reasons why she was for reversing the decision made during June’s special board meeting.

"Common sense is restored. I will continue to advocate to all school boards as I did with York Catholic, that students must go outside and benefit from physical activity and fresh air. It's important to the mental and physical health of children everywhere," Education Minister Stephen Lecce said in a statement to CTV News.

Iafrate said more discussion should have taken place.

“We know that students work better after having a break, just recharge and to breathe fresh air, and this is done through their lunch and recesses, and I’m sure that by having the surfaces plowed and salted, this will give them the ability to do that,” Iafrate said.

“This also helps our school principals and custodians because they had limited resources and had to make decisions on when to call indoor recesses to keep the students safe.”

Director of Education Domenic Scuglia confirmed the motion was passed in a letter sent to parents and staff following the meeting, reviewed by CTV News, assuring snow plowing and salting operations will be what it has been like in previous years at all schools.

“YCDSB staff have contacted contractors and snow removal work in paved playground areas will begin immediately,” Scuglia wrote. “Properly removing the snow and ice accumulated over the past several days could take up to one week to occur at your school.”

The decision comes just in time, as roughly two centimetres of snow accumulated in the Golden Horseshoe area Tuesday morning.