Weather-related procedures: What to know before it snows

With the weather getting chillier, and overnight temperatures hovering around zero degrees, it's important for parents, caregivers, students and staff to know the district's severe weather procedures for announcing school closures, delayed openings or cancellations.

In the event of snow, all schools in the Surrey School District will remain OPEN, except under extreme circumstances.

When all schools are closed:

Any districtwide closure or delayed school opening will be announced on the Surrey Schools website and individual school websites, as well as communicated on the district’s X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram accounts. Staff will also receive an email.

An announcement will be made by 7 a.m. at the latest, based on the best information available at that time.

Please note: Typically, only cancellations, closures or delayed school openings will be announced. Except under extreme circumstances, no announcement will be made that schools are open.

When schools are open:

** Student safety is our first priority and a shared responsibility. As always, parents and caregivers may choose to make other arrangements if they don't feel it is safe to travel to school. Students will not be penalized for such absences. **

To ensure safe travel to and from school, families who choose to attend should plan ahead by:

• allowing extra travel time, to prevent rushing on icy or wet roads;
• checking transit schedules and routes, to plan alternative transportation if needed; and
• wearing weather-appropriate footwear to avoid slips and falls.

How are school closures decided?

Given the varying weather conditions across Surrey and White Rock, a variety of factors are considered before a decision to close schools is made. The district takes the following steps in determining whether to delay opening or close schools due to weather:

• Designated staff members travel predetermined routes to assess conditions at and around school sites.
• A recommendation to close schools or cancel buses is discussed with key district personnel, as well as neighbouring school districts. Student and staff safety are always our top priority.
• A variety of factors are taken into consideration, including road, sidewalk and parking lot conditions, and issues such as power outages and other emergent matters.

For more information, please check our information brochure, available in English, Punjabi, Chinese and Arabic.

If you have any questions or concerns about safe travel to and from school, please talk to your school.