The Hamilton Wentworth District School Board has a policy of closing all schools whenever the student transportation services are cancelled due to "inclement weather". They claim this blanket closure is to protect students and employees from travelling in adverse conditions, where around 50% of the student body is bussed around a more rural locale (the former Wentworth School Board). The Board has this power whether the city authorities have declared a weather event or not. 

Hamilton, Ontario is a Canadian city, with expected winter conditions 3-4 months of the year. There are reasonable systems in place to monitor and declare city-wide weather events, but the public board has a power which supersedes this. Other school boards within the city - the Catholic board and the French board, which serve the same boundaries - do not have this policy. Neighbouring school boards in Halton, Guelph and Niagara also do not follow this approach.

No one, regardless of their profession, should drive to work when it is not safe for them to do so. Cancelling transportation is a sensible first step. However, many teachers and students can safely attend school on days with moderate weather. HWDSB's policy is out of line with most other boards in Ontario. It is out of line with every other profession. We all have the ability to exercise discretion based on our own circumstances.

This rule came into effect 24 years ago. Our workforce dynamics, car and road safety standards, cost of living, even climate, have all changed dramatically since the 1990s. It's time the HWDSB consider a 2-tier approach to this, to better support the widely different communities it serves.