The school district is putting a policy in place to deal with future snow days in Kamloops.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
March 06, 2015 - 2:29 PM
KAMLOOPS - After Kamloops students received unprecedented snow days at the beginning of January some parents and staff were left frustrated with a lack of clear policy, but with an emergency procedure policy set to be adopted next week expectations on future snow days should be a little more clear cut.
School District 73 is set to adopt a policy on the cancellation of classes due to extreme weather at a trustee board meeting on Monday, March 9. The policy outlines the need to make a decision on a closure the day before when possible, and when not possible to notify parents, students and employees before 7 a.m. the day of class cancellation or the closure of schools or the discontinuation of bus service.
The superintendent, or designated official, will have to notify everyone by telephone message, announcement through local media, employee emails and posting to the district website.
Regulations outlining the need for administration, managers, principals and vice principals to report to work and ensure buildings are open for employees will also be put in place. Employees will be expected to report to work and remain there to help ensure any students who do arrive are supervised and cared for.
Staff unable to make it to work will have to contact their supervisors and only employees who report to work for the day, or are on authorized leave, will be paid.
School facility rentals will also be cancelled on these days.
The issue came up immediately following the winter break in January after the district closed down for two days because of a near-record snowfall. At the time there was some confusion as to when parents and staff should have been notified and whether staff would be paid for the days.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015