Around 7 a.m. this morning (Feb. 28) the Vancouver School Board that they would not be calling a snow day despite the wintery conditions.
In a Tweet they acknowledged the weather and noted "buses for swing sites and programs are not running," but that, "these sites and programs are still open for students," regardless.
This morning TransLink suspended 10 bus routes in Metro Vancouver due to dangerous road conditions. The comment section of the school board's announcement reflected the frustration students and parents who were facing difficulties on the morning commute felt.
One Vancouverite shared a photo with the caption, "the view from my other window has roughly four more stalled buses and three spun-out cars" in response to the school board's post. "Let the children have a damn snow day," it reads.
Others on Twitter called the decision to be open "baffling" and "horse s**t."
On Instagram, it was more of the same.
Parents shared their concerns for the safety of their children getting to and from school and asked if the school board considered the snowy conditions at the end of the day as well as at the beginning, given that the forecast called for snowfall throughout the day.
A Vancouver-based group, the Canadian Youth Society, started a Change.org petition in response to the school board's decision demanding a snow day. The petition was first made four years ago but in the last 14 hours has received 30,0000 supporters for a total of 41,419 signatures (as of 4:30 p.m., Feb. 28).
It is addressed broadly, to "BC School Districts."
"We understand that the timing may be strained, however, we believe that it would serve the best interests for all if we were to have a snow day."
The group cites an unexpected amount of snowfall causing transportation issues and says that "walking and driving would be unsafe and very difficult in the deep snow. Furthermore, Translink’s reliability under these conditions is suspect at best, further complicating matters."
It also suggests that teachers may have difficulty getting to their respective schools and is signed, "Concerned Students, Parents, and Teachers."
Another response to the Vancouver School Board's Tweet echoes this sentiment and says that these "types of decisions" make staff retention "near impossible in this district."
Around the same time that the Vancouver School Board made its decision, the City of Vancouver requested that people avoid all non-essential travel. The North and West Vancouver school districts also announced that their schools would be closed.
V.I.A. reached out to the Vancouver School Board for comment and in an emailed statement they said many factors are taken into consideration when deciding to open or close schools during inclement weather including road conditions, weather changes and the needs of students and their families.
The school board also reportedly liaises with neighbouring Metro Vancouver school districts such as Richmond and Burnaby "to ensure our decision is aligned."
Burnaby chose to keep their schools open while SFU closed its campus. Richmond School District also kept their schools open.
"We respect families’ choice to send, or not to send, their kids to school when considering weather conditions," the statement continues. "Schools are vital to students and their families, and for that reason, we strive to keep schools open as long as it’s safe to do so."
The school board also says that tens of thousands of families depend on schools as a safe place for their child to be at every day and that many are unable to make other arrangements for their children in the event of short notice closures as a result of the weather.
"For many students, in addition to being a space where learning to take place, school is the only opportunity for them to get access to a much-needed meal," says the school board, "for today, given the warmer temperatures, the forecast of the snow stopping and recognizing the need for schools to stay open for students without other means of care, we decided to keep schools open.
They add, "the safety of our students and staff is our top priority. Our facilities team and contractors have been working hard through the weekend to clear and salt access paths, ramps and sidewalks on school grounds."
In response to the claims that the some schools don't have clear roads or sidewalks surrounding them, the school board says "although our staff work as fast as possible, the Vancouver School District has more than 110 school sites to clear, and like many other organizations, we are understaffed."
The reportedly prioritize access paths and areas for those who have mobility challenges, and then parking lots and sidewalks. They thank families for their patience and ask them to give themselves extra time going to and from schools on a snowy day.
