Why Durham school boards stayed open during the snowstorm

Durham’s public and Catholic school boards kept schools open during a heavy snowstorm while cancelling school bus service; the boards said the choice followed inclement‑weather procedures and local safety assessments.

Durham’s public and Catholic school boards remained open during a recent heavy snowstorm while cancelling school bus transportation. The boards said their decisions were made under established inclement‑weather procedures and reflected local conditions and safety assessments. Other boards across the Greater Toronto Area closed schools that day, and Environment Canada upgraded the snowfall alert for Durham Region to orange shortly after early morning decisions were announced. The choices prompted a mix of responses from families, students and staff. Key facts: - Durham’s public and Catholic boards kept schools open but cancelled bussing, saying transportation posed travel‑related risks. - Officials reported decisions used real‑time information, including road conditions, plowing status and weather forecasts, and involved input from transportation partners, neighbouring boards, municipalities and local police. - Several GTA boards to the west closed schools while some boards to the east and north stayed open, and Environment Canada moved Durham from a yellow to an orange snowfall alert near 8 a.m. - The boards acknowledged mixed reactions: some families appreciated schools being open for working parents, while some staff, a student trustee and parents raised safety concerns. Summary: The boards described the action as a balance between safety and community needs across a large region, while the on‑the‑ground effect included reduced attendance and conversations about staff and student safety. Undetermined at this time.