Section 2.1: School Related Operations

Approved: February 17, 2004

Revised: April 20, 2021

INCLEMENT WEATHER

1.0             Rationale

The Education Act outlines the statutory powers of a school board relative to school operations as follows:

 170(1) Every school board shall,

11. keep open its schools during the whole period of the school year determined under the regulation, except where it is otherwise provided under this Act.

and

19(1) A board may close or authorize the closing of a school or class for a temporary period where such closing appears unavoidable because of,

• failure of transportation arrangements; or
• inclement weather, fire, flood, the breakdown of the school heating plant, the failure of an essential utility or a similar emergency.

2.0             Definitions

Casual Employee: a casual employee as defined by the collective agreement for the employee group.

Employee: a permanent employee, a Posted Long-Term Occasional (LTO) employee, or Posted Temporary employee as defined by the collective agreement for the employee group.

Inclement Weather: severe weather conditions involving snow, rain, wind and/or ice which has an adverse effect on road conditions, and consequently on the safety of travel.

3.0             Policy

It is the policy of District School Board Ontario North East (DSB1) to provide appropriate procedures to ensure the safety of its students and staff when experiencing inclement weather. School closures due to very extreme and location-unique conditions may be instituted only with the permission, and indeed the initiative of, the respective Superintendent of Schools or in the Superintendent’s absence, the Chief executive Officer (CEO).