Close
Skip to Content
HDSB Logo
Main menu icon
I'd Like to...
  • Access eLearning courses
  • Apply for a Job
  • Find Adult and Continuing Education
  • Find My Local School
  • Find Student Busing
  • Get Homework Help
  • Pay Online
  • Register My Child for School
  • Rent School Space
  • Report A Student Absence
  • Request a Transcript
  • Resolve an Issue/Concern
  • Transfer within the Halton District
  • Volunteer
Alerts
  • Parents
    • Absence Reporting - SchoolMessenger
    • Calendar
    • Get Involved
    • Health and Well-Being
    • New to Halton
    • Register My Child for School
    • Special Education Programs and Placements
    • Welcome to a New School Year
    • Before and After School Care
    • COVID-19
    • Halton Community Resources
    • Human Rights & Equity
    • Pay Online
    • Report Cards
    • Technology & You
    • Why Choose HDSB?
    • Bus Cancellation and School Closure – Inclement Weather
    • Find My Local School
    • HDSB Mobile App
    • Kindergarten
    • Privacy and Freedom of Information (FOI)
    • Safe Schools
    • Transportation
  • Students
    • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
    • COVID-19
    • Graduation Requirements
    • High School Info Night
    • International Students
    • Safe Schools
    • Student Senate
    • Welcome Centre for Newcomer Students
    • Calendar
    • Environmental Leadership
    • Halton Cloud
    • Homework Help, Guidelines and Tools
    • Library Services
    • Secondary School
    • Transcript Requests
    • Community Involvement Hours
    • Expelled or Suspended Students (H.O.P.E.S.)
    • Health and Well-Being
    • Indigenous Rights & Education
    • Online Resources
    • Student Excellence Awards
    • Virtual Learning
  • Schools
    • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
    • Distribution of Materials to Schools
    • Information Technology in Schools
    • Program Accommodation Studies
    • Rent School Space
    • School Construction Projects
    • School Hours
    • Transfer Schools within the HDSB
    • Who to Contact
    • COVID-19
    • Find My Local School
    • Our Schools
    • Register My Child for School
    • School Boundary Reviews
    • School Enrolments
    • Secondary School
    • Transportation
    Image School Listing
    School Listing
  • Learning and Resources
    • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
    • Curriculum
    • English Language Learners-ELL
    • French
    • International and Indigenous Languages Elementary
    • Library Services
    • Secondary Education and Pathways
    • Virtual Learning
    • Arts Programs
    • De-Streaming
    • EQAO
    • Health and Physical Education
    • Kindergarten
    • Literacy & Math Resources
    • Special Education Programs and Placements
    • Before and After School Care
    • Elementary Education Programs
    • First Nation, Métis and Inuit Students
    • Innovation in Education at the HDSB
    • Learning & Tutoring Opportunities
    • Prior Learning Assessment
    • Summer School
  • Our Board
    • 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan
    • Board of Trustees
    • Contact Us
    • Get Involved
    • HDSB Employee Groups
    • How to Resolve Issues and Concerns
    • Labour Updates
    • Policies and Administrative Procedures
    • Accessibility
    • Budget and Financial Information
    • Departments
    • Halton Learning Foundation
    • HDSB Student & Staff Census
    • Human Rights & Equity
    • Livestream
    • Publications
    • Administration and Superintendents
    • Careers at the HDSB
    • Director's Cut - Videos
    • Have Your Say Survey
    • HDSBcares
    • Indigenous Rights & Education
    • News
    • Reimagine Forward

School Closure and Bus Cancellation Decisions

subnav icon More
Home/Parents/Bus Cancellation and School Closure – Inclement Weather/School Closure and Bus Cancellation Decisions/
Decrease Text Size Default Text Size Increase Text Size
Print Link
Share Link

More in this Section...

  • Bus Cancellation and School Closure – Inclement Weather
    • School Closure and Bus Cancellation Decisions
  • Absence Reporting - SchoolMessenger
  • Before and After School Care
  • Calendar
  • COVID-19
  • Find My Local School
  • First Nation, Métis and Inuit Students
  • Get Involved
  • Halton Community Resources
  • HDSB Mobile App
  • Health and Well-Being
  • Human Rights & Equity
  • Human Rights & Equity
  • Kindergarten
  • New to Halton
  • Pay Online
  • Privacy and Freedom of Information (FOI)
  • Register My Child for School
  • Report Cards
  • Safe and Accepting Schools
  • Safe Schools
  • Special Education Programs and Placements
  • Technology & You
  • Transportation
  • Welcome to a New School Year
  • Why Choose HDSB?

Quick Links

  • Bullying Prevention
  • Find My Local School
  • Get Involved
  • Parent Portal (Secondary)
  • Register My Child for School
  • Report a Student Absence

Page Image

Page Content
​

​​​​​​How do we make school closure and bus cancellation decisions?​

The decision to cancel buses, or close schools due to inclement weather is both complex and difficult, and not at all taken lightly.  We fully appreciate the impact for students and parents when buses are cancelled, or schools are closed.  Students are missing a day of school and many parents are required to find alternate arrangements for the care of their children.​​

Our three main criteria for our decision are always:  

  • Student safety
  • Ability of buses to follow routes within a reasonable time
  • Current and forecasted weather and road conditions

The following steps are taken in this decision making process: 

  1. When an inclement weather forecast is indicated, Halton Student Transportation Services (HSTS) requires bus companies to dispatch staff between 4:00-5:00 am to drive bus routes throughout Halton areas (urban and rural).
  2. A report is given to the Manager of HSTS by 5:30 am, based on informed road conditions.
  3. The HSTS General Manager contacts local counterparts, and a recommendation to make any bus cancellations or school closures is discussed with the Director of Education.  The Director of Education and the HSTS General Manager consider the forecast, current weather and road conditions.
  4. By 6:15-6:30 am the General Manager of HSTS makes a decision/ recommendation to cancel buses.
  5. Following consultation with HSTS and surrounding boards, the Director of Education for the Halton District School Board determines whether all schools should be closed in addition to cancelling bus transportation.

As always, parents may choose to keep their children home from school if they believe the weather conditions create unsafe travel.

If transportation is cancelled in the morning, it is not provided in the afternoon. ​

Board Office

Halton District School Board
J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Burlington, Ontario, L7P 5A8

Numbers

Phone: 905-335-3663
Fax: 905-335-9802

Links
Email Us
A to Z ServicesAccessibilityContact UsTransportationFeedbackStaffCareers
​​​​​​​​© 2023 Halton District School Board, 2050 Guelph Line, Burlington, ON, Canada L7P 5A8, Phone Switchboard: 905-335-3663

Auto Attendant: 905-335-3665, ​Toll Free: 1-877-618-3456, Fax: 905-335-9802