‘It’s a decision that’s made based on safety’

SYDNEY — Cape Breton’s school boards say are always looking to make the most of classroom time to compensate for days when classes are cancelled due to poor weather.

On Friday, which turned out to be a sunny but windy day, the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board cancelled classes due to icy road conditions. The Strait board didn’t cancel school, but its buses ran on paved roads only. It was the eighth region-wide cancellation for the board this school year in Cape Breton-Victoria. There were 15 region-wide closures under the board in 2013-2014, which was considered an exceptionally high number.

“Some days we get calls ( from parents) because we didn’t cancel and some days we get calls because we did,” said Susan Kelley, director of programs and student services with the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board. “It’s tough one and it’s a decision that’s made based on safety.”

While the number of closures haven’t been as extreme so far this season, Kelley said even one day out of class can be a concern, especially at the high school level and with the semester system.

“Teachers would be looking at curriculum and looking at ways that they can ensure that students get the most of the curriculum, that happens immediately when they miss more than one day,” she said.

“The last couple of weeks have been a little rough and it’s a concern off the top for us. We want to make sure the kids have the best background they can to go forward ... It’s a teacher in the classroom kind of day-to-day thing.”

As of Friday, there have been 6.5 days where classes were cancelled at all schools in the Strait Regional School Board, which covers the counties of Inverness, Richmond, Antigonish and Guysborough, noted board spokesperson Deanna Gillis in an email. As a comparison, as of the same date in the 20132014 school year, there were 8.5 days where classes were cancelled at all schools in the region.

“We will continue to closely monitor the number of days classes are cancelled,” Gillis wrote. “If this number substantially increases, a decision related to professional development days and other events/activities will be made at that time.”

She noted that there is a principals’ meeting planned for next week and the issue is on the agenda for further discussion.

Kelley said that last year, given the unusually high number of storm days, schools were asked to ensure they were using time as effectively as possible, including looking at activities such as field trips.

Teachers want to ensure students will be prepared for the upcoming school year, Kelley said.

There is a 195-day school year in Nova Scotia, as set by provincial regulations, with guidelines set for the beginning and ending of the school year.

Extra days cannot be added to the school calendar without the agreement of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union.

The Strait board covers 11,000 square kilometres, with 96 per cent of its students travelling to school by bus.

The Strait board has previously said the operations department begins around 4 a.m. when considering school cancellations, consulting with the RCMP, a private weather service, Environment Canada, and a network of bus drivers who go out to check road conditions. Decisions are generally made by 6:30 a.m. The process is similar in Cape Breton-Victoria.