Report: Poor roads on tribal lands lead to school absences
Source: Associated Press
Clarice Silber, Associated Press
Updated 8:13 pm, Monday, May 22, 2017
PHOENIX (AP) — The federal government released a report Monday that casts a critical light on the poor conditions of roads on tribal lands nationwide, highlighting the widespread challenge of getting Native American children to school during bad weather.
The General Accounting Office sent a team to visit 10 different school districts on three reservations in Arizona and South Dakota, where they spent time interviewing school officials and evaluating bus routes by riding with students to school.
They experienced unmaintained roads, bumpy rides, loud rattling windows and lengthy routes. The government team rode buses in May and June when weather conditions were fairly good compared with the winter months.
. . .
Earthen or gravel roads become muddy and impassible after being hit with heavy rain, snowfall or strong winds, causing students to be late for school when buses get stuck. Bus routes are sometimes 100 miles one way and require drivers to go 5 mph to navigate large rocks and ruts and steep inclines with no guard rails.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/education/article/New-federal-report-addresses-road-conditions-on-11164733.php