As the French school board grappled with how to reassure angry parents after a Halifax school bus dropped their children off more than 4½ hours late one day without explanation, the board's executive director suggested they hold a meet-and-greet where affected students would be given a treat bag from the bus company, while parents could voice their concerns.

"We obviously don't want it to turn into a rant for the angry parents, but hopefully it would be seen as a positive gesture," wrote Michel …