Winter Preparations - TRANSPORTATION 

Student safety is the top priority for Pasco School District’s Transportation team, and preparations for winter road conditions start early in the fall.

Mechanics conduct regular maintenance on all of the district’s buses to ensure they’re operating properly and prepared for winter driving conditions.

Buses that run on country routes are equipped with On Spot Automatic Chains that can assist drivers as they travel on country roads when snow and ice cause adverse driving conditions. Our mechanics test those chains in the fall to make sure they’re functioning properly before winter weather arrives. 

When the weather gets colder, our buses get plugged in when they’re not in use and parked in the bus lot. This ensures that the engine block is kept warm and allows the buses to start easier. 

Our bus drivers are also given hands-on training for putting on traction chains on our activity buses. These buses are used for school trips that travel outside of the Tri-Cities area and may need traction devices to travel in adverse weather conditions. 

The Transportation Director and Manager conduct road checks on city and county roads in the early morning hours to determine whether a delay or closure is necessary. Their vehicles are equipped with warning lights to improve visibility and safety.

Road checks begin at 3:00 a.m. and by 4:30 a.m. the Director and managers must decide if the roads are safe to travel. If a 2-Hour delay is announced, road checks will be conducted again so that a second decision can be made by 7:00 a.m. about whether to cancel school for the day.