Framingham School Superintendent: Bundle Up at the Bus Stop Friday

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FRAMINGHAM – Friday morning as students wait for their bus to take them to school it will be very cold, but it is forecasted to be even colder when the bus takes students home.

National Weather Service in Boston/Norton has issued a wind chill warning for Friday. While it will be sunny on Friday, wind chill temperatures Friday will be close to minus-20 degrees. The wind chill will drop to minus-30 and minus-40 at night.

NRT, the school district’s bus contractor, while short almost 20 drivers from its contracted 77 routes, has also been late picking up some students – some times as much as 30 to 45 minutes.

SOURCE asked Superintendent of School Bob Tremblay what is his plan for Friday with the arctic temperatures and wind chill warning, and students waiting outside in these extreme cold temperatures.

“I’ve asked our communications team to put together a reminder and school principals, but a reminder by having students just dress warm for the weather, watch out for wind chill, and that’s the best we can do,” said Supt. Tremblay, who said a delayed start doesn’t seem like the best idea.

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“My concern for the very reasons that were pointed out with the calendar of a delayed start is that there’s the risk that families will be leaving students unattended. And what happens then? So which is the greater risk? When you change up a schedule, particularly a delayed start – that could be more problematic,” said Tremblay about many students in the district who get themselves on the bus as their parents work.

SOURCE asked Supt. Tremblay if he would consider a snow (or cold weather) day – a no school day?

“I wouldn’t do a snow day for cold weather. I mean, that’s a difficult one. There’s a no win on any of these. So at this point, I’m not necessarily saying, I won’t do it, but at this point, as of Wednesday today, I’m not contemplating one.”

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Asked if NRT will be prepared with the buses, as there have been times in extreme cold weather buses do not start.

“On those colder weather days, they come in earlier to make sure the buses are running. But with 77 buses and NRT only running 57 of them, there’s 20 extra buses in the fleet that should be ready if the other ones don’t start. So maybe there’s an upshot,” said Tremblay.