By Sue Tiffin

Staff reporter

May 2 2017

Large amounts of snow and freezing rain caused an unprecedented number of bus cancellations for Haliburton County students this winter.

In the 2016/2017 school year buses were cancelled 12 times. Other students within the Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) region saw record cancellations as well. Muskoka students missed 11 days of school and students in the City of Kawartha Lakes missed seven.

“Freezing rain and rain and inclement weather conditions can cause bus cancellations” said Catherine Shedden district manager of corporate communications for the TLDSB in an email. “So for example if it rains on top of a lot of snow we know what happens. So it’s not always snow it’s a combination of weather sometimes.”

Despite almost two weeks of class missed students will not need to attend an extended school year to make up the days.

“Teachers know what their students need to learn in order to be successful” said Shedden. “There are many resources and supports available to teachers including their own colleagues their administrators and the professional learning that takes place throughout the year. Teachers are professionals who know how to adjust their teaching to accommodate these types of eventualities.”

Shedden said she wasn’t aware of any parent complaints due to the cancellations. She noted that various types of interruptions are common throughout the school year including student illness absences for school trips and events and inclement weather days.