Schools Plan For Cold Mornings By Warming Buses Overnight

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- School districts across the Denver metro area plan ahead to ensure their school buses are running on time during bitter cold mornings so students don't have to wait outside for too long.

Heaters are often plugged into the buses parked at the bus depot to make sure the engines stay warm overnight and start right up first thing in the morning.

"The most common is buses don't start, heaters don't work," said Aurora Public Schools spokesman Brent Spahn.

Aurora Public Schools said they begin preparing for winter weather months in advance. On days with extreme cold mechanics arrive about two hours before the drivers. They also add start crews.

"Start crews come in, they start every single bus. If a bus has difficulty starting, we have a mechanic to get them rolling," said Spahn.

School districts also have pre-trip inspections where backup buses are assigned and drivers ride school routes to detect problems beforehand.

The Cherry Creek School District has more than 300 buses and three transportation hubs. With so many pieces of equipment involved, coordination on frigid days is critical.

"We cover over a million miles a year and so to coordinate the routes and pick up kids effectively and on time takes a great deal of planning," said Cherry Creek Schools spokeswoman Tustin Amole. "We'll come out early, make sure the buses can start and keep them running until it's time to start the routes."

The Jefferson County School District adds a fuel additive to their buses to make sure it doesn't freeze. The additive works as long as the temperatures don't drop below zero.