By Sheldon Spackman and Brody Langager

whole week nearly wiped out by polar vor

Chinook’s Edge to consult with parents, teachers on bad weather policy

Feb 11, 2021 | 3:13 PM

The harsh weather conditions Alberta is facing is taking its toll on everyone, but Chinook’s Edge School Division is being hit with some unprecedented circumstances.

Until this week, it had been 11 years since the school division last had what they call a “red day” where both buses and schools are shut down due to inclement weather. They’ve now had four of them in a row, with another quite possible for Friday.

“Our line for a red day would be if the windchill is -45 or worse in that time where students walk to school from 7 a.m to 9 a.m.,” explained Kurt Sacher, Superintendent for Chinook’s Edge School Division.

Sacher says they check the Weather Network around 5:30 a.m. before making their decision for that day.

“We prioritize student safety, that’s number one.”

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Chinook’s Edge will be meeting with teachers on Friday and parents in the coming weeks to discuss whether there is anything the administration can do differently to make things easier on either group.

“We are always open to taking feedback on our admin procedures,” Sacher notes.

“The weather is so unpredictable, we’re reluctant to go there, but our parents have spoken and we need to think about that.”

In regards to how fast action can be taken once a decision has been made, Sacher explains, “We also need to talk to our administrators, we’ll do that as well. But once we’ve talked to the different groups of stakeholders we won’t waste any time.”

Information on Chinook’s Edge School Division’s weather policies can be found at their website.