MUSQUODOBOIT VALLEY: Parents in some areas of HRM were left frustrated on Monday morning when schools in their area were not cancelled due to the road conditions from the Alberta clipper that hit Nova Scotia.
While neighbours across the river in East Hants saw their school board, Chignecto Central Regional Centre for Education (CCRCE) cancel schools because of the weather, Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) did not.
In rural areas of HRM, like Middle Musquodoboit, Dean, etc. there was a bit more and it caused several accidents and dangerous driving conditions.
On a couple of local community Facebook pages, parents echoed their frustration at the decision by HRCE to continue with school and not cancel.
The Laker News reached out to HRCE on Monday morning to comment on their decision making and if they consider cancelling schools by feeder schools as they had done in the past.
“HRCE takes great care when making decisions about altering school operations due to weather,” said Lindsey Bunin, communications officer with HRCE. “Our priority is always the safety of students and staff.”
She said details of their process can be found here.
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Bunin said HRCE covers a large and diverse geographic area. She responded to the question about closing by feeder schools, for example Musquodoboit Valley or Eastern Shore family of schools if weather permits it in those areas.
“We review conditions in all of our school communities when decisions are made,” she said.
“We do consider the option to close one family of schools, if applicable.”
These are all factors when HRCE is making their decision with storm weather.
“We appreciate that conditions can differ between rural and urban areas, and these factors are part of our assessment,” she said.
“Our process is designed to prioritize safety while minimizing disruption to learning whenever possible.”
She said parents do have another option.
“Additionally, parents or guardians always have the choice to keep their children home if they have concerns about weather,” said Bunin.
