{"id":29826,"date":"2024-01-08T20:32:19","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T03:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/its-a-struggle-bus-drivers-face-challenging-conditions-on-rural-navajo-reservation\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T01:04:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:04:58","slug":"its-a-struggle-bus-drivers-face-challenging-conditions-on-rural-navajo-reservation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/its-a-struggle-bus-drivers-face-challenging-conditions-on-rural-navajo-reservation\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It\u2019s a struggle\u2019: Bus drivers face challenging conditions on rural Navajo reservation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\u2018Bad
\u2018Bad weather stops\u2019 are put into place by the district to ensure buses do not get stuck or damaged due to harsh road conditions brought on by inclement weather. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

As snow fell early into the new year, it brought a snow day for several districts in San Juan County.<\/p>\n

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

Central Consolidated covers 3,000 square miles with schools on and off the Navajo Nation.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Theodore is a part of a team that reports to Superintendent Steve Carlson.<\/p>\n

\u201cNinety-nine percent of our bus routes on the reservation are unimproved, not maintained, unpaved, and it\u2019s been a struggle,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Chapter houses maintain the roads that buses use and are allowed to grade 15 miles of roadway each quarter.<\/p>\n

\u201cFifteen miles is not even one bus route,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Sheldon Joe, Newcomb specialist and mechanic, said routes average around 50 miles and are similar in mileage.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Harry
Harry Dale, a bus driver for Newcomb schools, inspects his bus, No. 927 before departing on his route at 7:45 a.m. on Jan. 5. Central Consolidated Schools declared a two-hour the class time that morning. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
A student stands near a dirt service road near Newcomb, New Mexico, about 36 miles south of Shiprock. Not far from this stop, bus driver Harry Dale would turn the bus around at a community baseball field. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
A single student is dropped off near a \u201cbad weather stop\u201d on Jan. 5 after the district declared a two-hour delay for the start of classes. That morning, Dale picked up a few students on his route. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
\u2018It\u2019s for the kids\u2019<\/strong><\/div>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Harry
Harry Dale worked in corrections and mechanics before becoming a bus driver. The strict rules that he faced as a corrections employee helped him stay on top of New Mexico Public Education Department guidelines, despite complaints from parents. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Bus
Bus driver Harry Dale cleans the seats before departing for his route on Jan. 5. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Working
Working his first year on the Naschitti route, driver Harry Dale drew up a map with a bus route that was safe and efficient. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Bus driver Harry Dale begins his routine check list before his route. His route Jan. 5 consisted of \u201cbad weather stops,\u201d put in place by the district when buses can\u2019t access stops on muddy or snowy service roads.<\/p>\n

Dale has not always driven the Naschitti route. His previous route was on primarily dirt roads toward Sanostee, northwest of Newcomb.<\/p>\n

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

Dale said a functioning radio is crucial on his job because a bus driver could be stuck for hours with no communication.<\/p>\n

\u201c903 . that turn around is kind of slippery,\u201d said a radio call. A \u201cturnaround\u201d refers to a stop that is accessible and allows for buses to meet students, before returning back to the main highway.<\/p>\n

Dale finds a flaw with the \u2018bad weather stops\u2019 when checkerboard pattern of bad weather appears on the reservation. Inclement weather exists in some areas, but not others.<\/p>\n

Routes will be clear, but parents complain that alternative stops force them to meet the bus, Dale said.<\/p>\n

Dale said he enjoys his job and the kids are the least of his problems.<\/p>\n

\"Bus
Bus driver Harry Dale welcomes each student to his bus by name. He said he let students know about the Tri-City Record ride-along in December. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"An
An attendance sheet sits on the dash of Harry Dale\u2019s bus. On average, Dale transports 37 students in the mornings. Forty-nine are assigned to the bus. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

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.<\/p>\n

Despite pushback from parents, Dale abides by NMPED guidelines in his efforts to provide a safe and efficient route.<\/p>\n

Dale said bus drivers could be a positive role model for the students they transport.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou only see them twice a day,\u201d he said \u201cYou\u2019ve got a small chance of influencing a young mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Turn these buses into tanks\u2019<\/strong><\/div>\n

Snow is not the only seasonal weather that affects bus access, Joe said. Rain and wind also pose problems.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce these roads get graded and once it gets to windy season, it blows all that dirt, and these rocks come out and you\u2019re back to square one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf only they could pave the main areas of the road,\u201d Joe said \u201cThat would help us out a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Central Consolidated buses require constant repair or replacement on shocks, brakes, tires, undercarriages, crossover mirrors and windows, because of the roads\u2019 \u201cwashboard\u201d condition, Theodore said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of little factors that result from unimproved roads,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"A
A status board inside the bus barn office. Joe said once the drivers are done with their routes, they use the board to identify any issues like maintenance or fuel. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
The keys of the drivers hang in the bus barn office before they would arrive for their shifts on Jan 5. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Drivers
Drivers begin to head out for their routes on Jan 5. They would start arriving by 7:45 a.m. after a two-hour delay for Shiprock, Naschitti and Newcomb. A typical day starts at 5:45 a.m. for the drivers. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s a very stressful job,\u201d Theodore said \u201cI have awesome bus drivers that love their kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a task transporting a bus full of kids while also being aware of your surroundings, scanning all the mirrors and dashboard, Joe said.<\/p>\n

Joe encourages his team to talk with the students and keep morale up by telling them they are important to the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With the bus barn next to the elementary playground, the sound of children playing makes the job worthwhile for Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our future, these kids here,\u201d he said, \u201cMaking sure that these kids come to school safely and go home safely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Students
Students exit Bus No. 927 and enter the school cafeteria. Driver Harry Dale said he refers to the students as \u201chis kids,\u201d and he has seen them grow in their communication skills. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

conditions disrupt access to education in the Central Consolidated School District<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[1240,1222,155,799,28,1241],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-29826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-aztec","tag-bloomfield","tag-education","tag-farmington","tag-headlines","tag-kirtland"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29826"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80876,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29826\/revisions\/80876"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29826"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=29826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}