BV grounds staff keeps students and staff safe in winter weather

When winter weather hits, most people plan to ride out the storm indoors. As for the Blue Valley School District's Grounds Services staff, they'll be riding behind the wheel of a plow truck.

Year-round, this 17-member group maintains Blue Valley's 967 acres of property. They take pride in keeping it clean, safe and beautiful throughout the four seasons. In addition, the staff is responsible for preparing all athletic fields and courts for play, raising and lowering orchestra pits, and maintaining the equipment necessary for their work. But when frozen precipitation begins to fall, all attention shifts to snow removal.

"Everyone on these crews takes a lot of pride in our facilities and in the work they do," said Jody Gill, grounds crew coordinator. "But when a winter storm comes, we have to be ready."

Grounds Services personnel are responsible for removing snow and ice from district maintained roads, drives, bus loops, parking lots, dock drives and accessible hard surface playgrounds. The effort requires stamina, skill, and practice. Features such as fire hydrants, islands, speed bumps, manholes covers and storm sewer inlets become invisible obstacles in a snow covered parking lot late at night. So before winter, crew members take time to become familiar with the areas they are assigned.

Even one to two inches of snow across the district can take six to eight hours to clear.  Often, grounds staff will work through the night--up to twelve hours at a time--clearing snow and ice and salting roadways so students and staff can get to school safely.

As soon as weather forecasters predict a winter storm, the grounds staff springs into action, double checking all equipment to ensure it is ready for service. Tools include: 15 heavy duty pick-up trucks, six Polar Track plows along with an inventory of plow blades, salt spreaders and snow blowers.

Snow removal plans divide the district into three routes covered by up to three crews. Crews are trained to move snow in downhill direction, away from building and parking areas, but from one storm to the next, they can never know exactly what sort of work is coming up.

"Every storm is different," said Gill. "We have to be flexible and resourceful. Each event creates a new logistical challenge, and our staff takes pride in meeting that challenge every time."

Snow removal crews must often report to work late at night to clear snow that falls during school hours when parking lots are full. It is vital that parking lots are completely free of snow and ice by the time students return to school. Blue Valley High School students are assigned numbered parking spaces that must be visible.

If school is canceled, crews concentrate on buildings that house Y-Care. These locations must be clear and ready for students at regular start-times no matter what the weather brings.

When wintery weather begins at night, one grounds crew staff member takes Snow Watch duty. These employees are on the road at midnight. They drive a route that covers the district, continuously looking for snow or ice accumulation or slick conditions. Crews are called in if necessary.

"We all lose a lot of sleep during the winter months," said Gill. "I am always impressed by this staff's willingness to work horrible hours in terrible conditions. They are truly dedicated to keeping students safe and in school."

As soon as snow and ice are cleared, preparations for the next storm begin. Salt must be ordered to replenish the district's 350-ton salt reserve. If conditions required the use of sand, that supply will also need to be refilled. (Crews spread sand onto surfaces to increase traction when low temperatures render salt ineffective for melting ice.) Then, every plow blade, salt spreader and vehicle must be washed, repaired and receive full maintenance.

Harsh winter conditions are tough on equipment and Grounds Services mechanic Brenda Wade can spend several days making repairs after a snow event. Often, she even makes repairs during a snow event. She drives a truck equipped with an air compressor, a welder, and the tools to get a damaged plow truck running quickly and efficiently, at the school location, if necessary.

"The Blue Valley School District depends on the Grounds Services staff to help ensure the safety of students and staff when winter weather hits," said Superintendent Tom Trigg. "They never let us down. We are incredibly fortunate to have this conscientious, highly capable group of people on our team."