Bus Routes Remain Icy In Some Wake Neighborhoods

Wake County schools

cannot have alternate bus stops for snow days. With 57,000 students in their care and 76,000 miles of roads to cover every day, Wake school officials say they cannot afford to be too careful.

Maintenance workers cleared school sidewalks and parking lots of ice Thursday, but ice on backroads is still a problem for school buses. To maneuver, school officials said school buses must have at least one lane of bare pavement on every road they travel.

"When you're transporting over 57,000 students a day, it would not be reasonable for us to expect everyone to be able to get to the top of a hill at a subdivision," school transportation director Vernon Hatley said.

Some parents said Wake County is making the right call.

"I think they made a good call so far," parent Leslie Cook said. "I definitely think by tomorrow, they should be getting back in the swing of things, a late start or something."

Wake County schools will operate on a one-hour delay on Friday.