Protocols for School Cancellation 2024/2025
Current conditions in each county are researched, through live camera sources, transportation staff, NS Department of Public Works, and other sources. The type of precipitation, i.e. granular, and/or wet is determined, which can fluctuate depending on temperature. In conjunction, as necessary, regional staff travel the secondary roads for a firsthand evaluation. Snow squalls cannot be accurately forecasted as they are not a weather system, but a condition caused by ocean temperature, wind direction and moisture.
After all data is collected and a recommendation is made and the Regional Executive Director is contacted for a final decision based on the recommendation, which is to cancel or remain and subsequently announced through local media and the Tri-County Regional Centre for Education website. All of this is done before 6:00am, as many of our Bus Drivers begin work before that time.
When schools are open, the weather conditions are monitored throughout the day. There are times when school is dismissed early due to inclement weather, due to advice that an inclement weather system is approaching. For example, should the advice include a combination of sustained reduced visibility and/or deterioration of road conditions. As our buses provide service to elementary, middle and secondary schools in separate routes, we attempt to dismiss before the worst of the storm hits, to ensure the safety of all students.
Protocols are in place at the schools for notifying families.
Weather conditions can vary greatly form area to area and can change significantly within a few hours. This increases the difficulty of making the best decision for everyone concerned. We may, at times, only cancel one “family” or county of schools excluding all others.
Throughout, the safety of the students we transport is paramount. As a parent, you would ultimately make the decision as to whether to keep your child at home if you do not agree with our decision for school to remain open.
Notifications
When there’s a school closure, information is shared in a variety of ways. Parents/guardians and staff are encouraged to check multiple sources for information, including:
Website
Details will be posted to the homepage of our website (www.tcrce.ca) as early as possible (usually before 6 a.m.) You may have to refresh your page or clear your cookies to ensure you are getting the latest update. Both school and office closures will be posted here.
Email and text
We will also email and text families to the contact information we have on file. If you don’t receive text alerts, you’ll need to opt in by texting Y or Yes to 978338 from a number on file with a school. Please note, delivery times for text and email can vary based on service providers. It is not recommended to rely solely on receiving this notification. If you need to update your contact information, please contact your school directly.
Social media
Check either Facebook or X (Twitter). We will post there as soon as possible. Both the TCRCE Twitter and Facebook pages can be viewed without having an account. Here are the links: Facebook and Twitter.
News
Listen to, or watch the local news. We will inform local news stations of school closures as soon as possible.
