Cancelling school buses and closing schools due to bad weather
During the winter months, inclement weather may cause the disruption of bus transportation and regular school operations. Families are reminded to review the inclement weather information below.
In case of inclement weather, the decision to close schools and/or cancel buses is
communicated by 6:30 a.m.
It is always a parent/guardian’s decision whether to send their child to school on inclement weather days. Parents/guardians who keep their children at home when schools are open MUST report this absence before the school day starts at either:
- Toll free 1-877-409-6310
- Online at go.schoolmessenger.ca
- HDSB Mobile App (Available on the App Store and Google Play. Search: Halton District School Board)
Methods of Communication
Since communication is key in alerting families to the status of school operations and busing, we use a variety of methods to communicate this important information.
- Alert message on the Halton District School Board website
HDSB social media
X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) - @HaltonDSB
-
HDSB Mobile App (Download free from the App Store and Google Play)
Email notification through SchoolMessenger
- Halton Student Transportation Services website
-
School board office telephone recording at 905-335-3665 or Toll free at 1-877- 618-3456
Television: CHCH, CITY TV, CP24
AM Radio: CFRB 1010 AM, CJOY 1460 AM, CKOC 1150 AM, CHWO 740 AM, AM680 NEWS, CHAM 820 AM
FM Radio: CHFI 98.1 FM, WAVE 94.7 FM, Y108/107.9 FM, CING 95.3 FM, KLITE 102.9 FM, CBC 99.1 FM, CIMJ 106.1 FM
Email Notifications on Inclement Weather Days
The SchoolMessenger system will email the parents of approximately 67,000 students. Delays in email delivery are caused by limitations of Internet Service Provider (ISP) receiving our messages, spam protection, as well as other GTA school boards sending messages that morning. For this reason, the SchoolMessenger system is supplementary to the HDSB website, social media, the HDSB Mobile App, TV and radio news channels.
Important Inclement Weather Information for Families
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.
When
buses are cancelled but schools are open, parents/guardians who keep their children at home,
MUST report this absence before the school day starts at: Toll free 1-877-409-6310, online at
go.schoolmessenger.ca or the HDSB Mobile App.
When the temperature (with or without)
wind chill reaches -20 degrees Celsius, students will
enter the school immediately upon arrival in the morning and
remain indoors during nutrition breaks.
It is a
parent/guardian's decision whether or not they send their child to school on inclement weather days.
Inclement Weather Transportation Zone Map
Reminders for Bus Riders
- When bus transportation is cancelled, it is cancelled for the entire day. Parents who bring their children to school when buses are cancelled must make arrangements to pick them up at dismissal time.
- Review the Transportation Zone map to ensure you know which zone you live in. Bus cancellation announcements refer to those zones.
- Pay careful attention to the bus cancellation message if your child travels from one zone to another for a specialized program. If your child travels into or through a zone where the transportation is cancelled, then there will be NO transportation provided for your child that day.
- Dress warmly on cold weather days as school buses may be delayed and your child may be waiting for the bus longer than usual.
- Create a Parent Portal account on the Halton Student Transportation Services (HSTS) website to receive updates on bus delays or weather related cancellations (www.haltonbus.ca).
Additional Resources