A week ago, as the threat of a major storm became realistic, the facilities team for Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia started holding meetings and getting contractors lined up.
Then, on Saturday afternoon, a small group gathered around the table in a building off to the side of Woodson High School. At the snow command center, they’re surrounded by large screens — one on the Weather Channel, one showing plow locations in real time and another projecting road temperatures across the region.
It’s not just used during snow events. Hurricanes, wind storms and downed trees create similar circumstances.
Around 11 p.m., technicians arrived to survey school campuses and start plowing snow. They begin when 2 inches reach the ground, and they initially work in 12- to 14-hour shifts.
Some of the leadership team stayed at a nearby hotel, making sure they can be present each day. The work is still ongoing, with schools still facing snow-covered or icy parking lots and crosswalks.
For Northern Virginia’s largest school district, the cleanup from the storm involves about 200 pieces of equipment. It’s a process that could end up costing about $1 million.
“Every storm is different,” said Brian Davis, the school system’s executive director of facilities and maintenance. “This one here is the ice. We started plowing snow during the storm on Saturday evening, and we all know it switched over to ice early Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon. That ice layer is a big challenge for us now to bust through that and get all that off our property.”
Typically, custodians are responsible for the sidewalks, while the facilities team oversees parking lots and crosswalks. Pedro Mercedes, who has worked for the division for eight years, said the biggest challenge is “when it freezes and you can’t really push it. Sometimes, it just becomes that we need a machine to actually be able to plow it.”
This week, Davis said, road conditions made cleanup difficult.
“The back roads are horrible,” Davis said. “Just getting to our schools and neighborhoods has been a big challenge.”
When the team can see asphalt, particularly parking lines, and put salt down, “at that point, we can start to say we’re getting to where we need to be,” Davis said.
However, the decision whether to have schools open or closed is ultimately up to instructional staff, Davis said.
“Safety is always a big deal,” Davis said. “We’ve got to make sure that our school (grounds) are clean, safe, kids can walk on them.”
Mercedes, meanwhile, said crews regularly recheck routes and ensure there aren’t icy spots. His role in getting schools cleaned up after winter weather involves a sacrifice — time away from his wife and young son.
“Sometimes, it’s hard when it snows,” Mercedes said, “because my wife, she has to clear up the snow. I wish I was there to help her. But, for the past couple days, I’ve been staying in the hotel, and it’s tough. I wish I was there with her to help her.
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