As snow fell early into the new year, it brought a snow day for several districts in San Juan County.

While students and faculty might enjoy the school closures in urban areas, transportation teams at Central Consolidated School District face a different narrative.

Central Consolidated covers 3,000 square miles with schools on and off the Navajo Nation.

In a district that has a variety of roads that are not maintained, Cynthia Theodore, district transportation coordinator, starts her day at 3:30 a.m. on days that have inclement weather.

Theodore is a part of a team that reports to Superintendent Steve Carlson.

“Ninety-nine percent of our bus routes on the reservation are unimproved, not maintained, unpaved, and it’s been a struggle,” she said.

Chapter houses maintain the roads that buses use and are allowed to grade 15 miles of roadway each quarter.

“Fifteen miles is not even one bus route,” she said.

Sheldon Joe, Newcomb specialist and mechanic, said routes average around 50 miles and are similar in mileage.

Should a road continue to deteriorate, the transportation department has no choice but to remove that route, based on New Mexico Public Education Department bus guidelines.

In the crisp morning with fresh snow still covering the ground and the sun starting to rise, Joe spreads salt to melt the black ice on the bus barn pavement behind Newcomb elementary on Indian Service Route 19B off Highway 491.

Joe is an integral part of the transportation team that evaluates driving conditions during inclement weather. Like Theodore, Joe starts his day early, driving about 4 a.m. to the different routes so that he can report back to the coordinator.

On Friday, Jan. 6, bus drivers started their day at sunup instead of their normal 5:45 a.m. route in the dark. The night before, the district declared a two-hour delay for Newcomb, Naschitti and Shiprock schools.

Bus driver Harry Dale begins his routine check list before his route. His route Jan. 5 consisted of “bad weather stops,” put in place by the district when buses can’t access stops on muddy or snowy service roads.

Dale has not always driven the Naschitti route. His previous route was on primarily dirt roads toward Sanostee, northwest of Newcomb.

Weather is not the only obstacle for Dale. Cattle, broken-down cars and inconsiderate parking by other transportation vehicles often block the road.

Dale said a functioning radio is crucial on his job because a bus driver could be stuck for hours with no communication.

“903 . that turn around is kind of slippery,” said a radio call. A “turnaround” refers to a stop that is accessible and allows for buses to meet students, before returning back to the main highway.

Dale finds a flaw with the ‘bad weather stops’ when checkerboard pattern of bad weather appears on the reservation. Inclement weather exists in some areas, but not others.

Routes will be clear, but parents complain that alternative stops force them to meet the bus, Dale said.

Dale said he enjoys his job and the kids are the least of his problems.

On average, Dale transports 37 kids in the mornings, with 49 kids total assigned to the bus. There is a decrease in the afternoons because most students are involved in sports or after-school activities, he said.

Despite pushback from parents, Dale abides by NMPED guidelines in his efforts to provide a safe and efficient route.

Dale said bus drivers could be a positive role model for the students they transport.

“You only see them twice a day,” he said “You’ve got a small chance of influencing a young mind.”

Snow is not the only seasonal weather that affects bus access, Joe said. Rain and wind also pose problems.

“Once these roads get graded and once it gets to windy season, it blows all that dirt, and these rocks come out and you’re back to square one,” he said.

South of Two Grey Hills, residents members built a culvert with tires and boulders that was washed out by rain, making it unfit for buses. The chapter eventually graded the road, but another storm washed it out.

“If only they could pave the main areas of the road,” Joe said “That would help us out a lot.”

Central Consolidated buses require constant repair or replacement on shocks, brakes, tires, undercarriages, crossover mirrors and windows, because of the roads’ “washboard” condition, Theodore said.

“There’s a lot of little factors that result from unimproved roads,” she said.

Newcomb bus routes have declined to 11 routes, down from 13 about five years ago, according to Joe, because NMPED guidelines require that a route be dropped if it has fewer than 10 kids. When a route is removed, students are combined with another route.

Disputes happen among community members as to who is responsible for maintaining these roads but what makes Joe uncomfortable is knowing some students will not have a bus ride to school.

“It’s a very stressful job,” Theodore said “I have awesome bus drivers that love their kids.”

It’s a task transporting a bus full of kids while also being aware of your surroundings, scanning all the mirrors and dashboard, Joe said.

Joe encourages his team to talk with the students and keep morale up by telling them they are important to the community.

“You are the first person that they see in the morning and you are also going to be the last person you see when they go home,” he said.

With the bus barn next to the elementary playground, the sound of children playing makes the job worthwhile for Joe.

“This is our future, these kids here,” he said, “Making sure that these kids come to school safely and go home safely.”