Transportation directors from some of the snowiest states discuss how they prepare their drivers for winter and when to call for a snow day

By Stephane Babcock

Snow storms are definitely on the horizon, if not already providing an early winter blanket, for a number of school districts around the country. And with wintertime comes one of the most favorite days of the week for many students — snow days. But, unlike what some might think, the decision to call off school due to weather does not simply consist of a quick call from the superintendent (still in his pajamas) to the local media outlet for broadcast on the early morning radio and TV news shows. The process oftentimes begins much earlier.

“The decision starts the night before, when the weather forecasters decide to scare everyone by predicting ‘major storms’ coming to our area,” said Marty Hess, transportation supervisor for Urbana, Ohio, City Schools, about 45 miles east of Columbus. ”At 4 a.m., I leave my house and start driving half of the bus routes. Our business manager drives the other half.“

Since his department transports kids to nine other school districts aside from the district’s four elementary schools and separate junior high and high schools, Hess uses a network of other local transportation supervisors who call each other by 5 a.m. to find out the condition of the roads in the neighboring towns. A recommendation on the safety of the road conditions and whether to delay or to close school for the day is then made. The group then contacts their respective superintendents, who make the final decision based on the information provided.

“I would not make a driver go out in weather that I feel is not safe or that I would not drive in. My drivers know that and do a great job,” said Hess.

Some districts even start planning for storms a few days in advance. Officials at Warwick Valley School District, located a few miles away from the Pennsylvania border in southeast New York, start two or three days prior with weather service notifications of incoming storms. Transportation Director Robert Zeller shares this information with the superintendent and begins internal plans for plowing and sanding operations, which are reviewed by all personnel.

“We keep a close eye on our own Doppler radar, which updates every three minutes,” added Zeller. “On the day of the storm, crews are brought in for snow or ice removal. The head bus driver, the head mechanic and I start driving some of the district’s most challenging roads covering some 50 miles. We all arrive at the office at 4:30 a.m., review our findings and contact the department of public works supervisor and request a recommendation.”

Once the final decision is made, a district contact list is called and the closure information is communicated to them. Zeller then reaches out to local radio and television stations, where the information is not only broadcast but included on their Web sites.

“All of this is completed prior to 5 a.m. to insure that no one is placed in harms way. After all is completed, we start over for our next day of operation,” said Zeller.

Experience Not the Only Type of Training
New York State is as used to snow as Florida is to sun. So when school bus drivers from the Empire State are faced with morning routes covered in snow, sleet and sometimes ice, their instincts kick in.

“Years of living here is the only preparation for that type of driving,” said Allen Matuszczak, transportation and building maintenance supervisor for Lowville Academy and Central School, which sits just west of the Adirondack Mountains. “I can’t see us hiring a new southern transplant to drive a school bus for us. People who have grown up driving in our type of conditions almost find it normal.”

But even some storms can be too much for the most seasoned wintertime driver.

“In 1976, all the roads were closed in the county for almost two weeks. The only travel allowed was snow plows in front of milk trucks. All other roads had emergency personnel stopping any and all traffic,” recalled Matuszczak.

During this historic blizzard, which hit its zenith in late January 1977, certain areas of the state received over 100 inches of snowfall, 30-foot snow drifts and wind-chill temperatures of -70 to -60.

There are, of course, mandatory annual training classes that will sometimes cover adverse weather driving skills, but nothing can beat real world experience. LD Ellison takes his drivers to the local ski resort to prepare for the snow-covered roads of Sweet Home, Ore., a town that sits about 35 miles southeast of Salem with areas that can reach several thousand feet in elevation. The Sweet Home School District transportation director uses the resort’s parking lot for late October/early November winter driving training sessions.

“We require all route and trip drivers to take part in special training, which includes recognition of various road conditions associated with the change in elevation, the use and operation of automatic chain systems and skid recovery of a school bus on ice or snow,” said Ellsion.

Chris Ellison also believes in using hands-on training to prepare his drivers for Oregon winters. No relation to Sweet Home’s transportation director, Ellison and his staff practice chaining up the tires, quick stops and how the ABS system on the bus works in different conditions. He also always reminds drivers WIDD — When in Doubt, Don’t — and the six Ts: Take Time To Think Things Through.

“Stay clam, slow down and be on the lookout for the other driver who may not know how to drive in these conditions,” he added.

Getting Stuck Between a Storm and a Hard Place
What happens when a snowstorm hits in the middle of a route? Whether on the way to school or back home, the first priority is student safety. When bus drivers of Oswego, Ill., Community Schools experienced this one winter, they knew exactly what to do. As part of their emergency plan, the district had all students brought back to their schools so that they could contact all parents via ConnectEd, a phone notification system that relays pre-recorded messages concerning school closings or other information.

Larry Martinez, the director for the southwest Chicago suburb’s school district transportation department, constantly reminds his drivers to slow down and not worry about the clock in these types of situations.

“Late and safe is always better than the alternative. Also, be especially aware that kids play in snow and may not be standing quietly at the stop,” added Martinez.

Snow storms do not always affect every bus route in the district in the same way. For Lowville’s Matuszczak, each driver must radio in when there is a question about whether to continue picking up or dropping off kids and decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. Tug Hill, a rural and remote region of New York State that is heavily forested and receives the most snowfall in the eastern U.S., can be a different world compared to the rest of the area, according to Matuszczak.

“We had the same driver on the real big (Tug Hill) run for 25 years and he just retired. Another driver up there has been there for 15 years and is still driving. They drive in all kinds of conditions when it is fine in the valley,” said Matuszczak.

In certain instances, all the buses are staffed with an extra person to act as a monitor, so the driver can concentrate on the road conditions and not worry about what’s going on in the bus. The district has an emergency list of volunteers from the teaching staff on call. There have also been occasions that Matuszczak has released all the buses except those on Tug Hill. For those times, the district also has a list of staff members willing to stay with the kids at school for as long as needed.

“We have also used snow plows leading buses to get the kids home — a last ditch effort. Many parents will pick up their own kids then or they will stay with someone who lives in the village,” said Matuszczak.