Montana is known for its harsh winters and frigid temperatures, but for most people that live here, winter weather is just a part of daily life.

school bus in snow
Roger Mcclean
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Temperatures far below zero degrees are fairly common during the winter in Montana. People in many states across the country absolutely lose their minds and close everything down when a winter storm hits, but for Montana, it's business as usual.

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With sub-zero temps in the forecast heading into the holiday weekend, we decided to reach out to Bozeman School District Superintendent Casey Bertram to find out what it takes for a school to be canceled in Bozeman due to weather. Students in the Bozeman School District are currently on winter break until January 2, so the cold weather won't have an impact on classes.

A row of school buses covered in snow.
onepony
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When is the last time Bozeman Cancelled School Due to Weather?

Here's the response we received from Bozeman School District Superintendent Casey Bertram;

Our student and staff safety are top priorities to us and we consider all possible situations before making a decision.  The decision to close schools or keep them open has to be balanced between student safety and the hardship that is placed on parents who may be unable to find child care on short notice.  It is rare that school is completely canceled, although, in 2019, we did have a 2-hour delayed start. The last time the District closed due to weather was in 1989.  All decisions are made with careful consideration of all students and families involved.

It has been 30 years since school was completely canceled due to weather. Needless to say, it's very rare.

Group of happy kids look down wearing winter clothes
SerrNovik
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BSD7 officials monitor information from the local and national weather service, and are also in contact with local officials regarding road conditions and traffic safety. If the school schedule must be altered due to weather conditions, families will be notified through school messenger, and local media will be notified as well.

If a parent chooses to keep their children at home because of driving conditions, those absences should be called in by parents and those absences would be excused. Students who miss school due to inclement weather are not penalized.

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