The safety of students being transported by school buses is the top priority for the Black Gold School Division and it’s bus contractors. The decision to cancel or operate buses during inclement weather is based on a number of criteria, including temperature and road conditions. If buses are cancelled due to inclement weather, they are cancelled for the day.
If buses are cancelled or running late, bus status notifications will be updated prior to 6:30 a.m. or as soon as possible. Bus status notifications will be posted on the Division Office website as well as individual school websites – please click on the Bus Status App icon on the homepage.
Schools always remain open for those that walk or are transported to the school, unless there is a specific school-related emergency, like a watermain break.
Parent Responsibility
During inclement weather, the final decision to send a child to the bus stop or to school always rests with parent. Parents are responsible for checking the status of bus delays or cancellations on the Bus Status App. Should you drive your child to school when bus service is cancelled, it is your responsibility to pick the child up from the school at dismissal time. Parents are to notify the school if their child is not attending.
Please keep in mind that when temperatures are cold, regardless of your child’s age, you need to be at the bus stop with your child for safety reasons. Your child needs to be dressed appropriately for the weather conditions. If your child will not be in attendance, please let the school know as soon as possible.
How Do I Know When Buses are Cancelled?
The Associate Superintendent – Business & Finance, in consultation with the Transportation Manager, will make a decision by 6 a.m. or the previous night if conditions make it obvious that the service will be suspended for the following day. The Transportation Manager will send notification to the parents of bus students via the Bus Status App before 6:30 a.m. or as soon as the decision has been made. The Division website will be updated at the same time.
The homepage of the Division and school websites has a bus icon on the top right corner for bus delays and cancellations. The bus will change colors if there is a notification and when clicked will take you to all bus notifications.
NOTE: If the power has gone out, the server will be down and you will not be able to access the site.
Is There a Low Temperature Guideline to Cancel Buses?
School bus service will typically be suspended when there is a forecast or current temperature of minus 40 degrees Celsius (-40°C), with or without wind chill.
Why have there been bus cancellations in one area and not across the Division?
The Black Gold School Division encompasses Leduc County and includes the municipalities of Beaumont, Devon, Leduc, New Sarepta, Calmar, Thorsby and Warburg. At times, the temperatures and/or road conditions in one area may be different from conditions in another area. Therefore, the Division reviews each municipality individually and, based on the temperature and/or road conditions, makes the decision on whether or not to cancel school bus services for that region.