Parents: School’s sidewalks, steps buried in snow

Parents at Trailblazer Elementary in Colorado Springs said they were troubled by, what they say was, a slow response to snow removal.

One parent took several photos on campus Tuesday morning, which showed steps and ramps for the handicapped completely buried in snow.

One of those parents said it was unacceptable.

“I was hoping for something after the first couple of days it stopped snowing,” one mother said. “My littlest one slipped and fell just going to the playground. I just see people struggling.”

KRDO NewsChannel 13’s Greg Miller contacted the district early Tuesday afternoon before heading to the school. By that time, a plow was clearing the nearby sidewalk. Parents said that sidewalk leading up to the school was completely covered Tuesday morning.

A spokewoman for D11 admitted the clearing process had been slow because of the magnitude of the storm. And the grounds foreman, Bob Purvine, said district employees have been working nonstop.

“In a storm like this, it’s just a process. We’ve been plowing on and off all until now,” Purvine said.

The district workers focus on parking lots at facilities first, then public sidewalks and playgrounds. They urge parents to notify the school of problem areas to be cleared.

“Bring it to the attention of the school so they can address it. Right, wrong, indifferent, maybe they’re not aware,” Purvine said.

Even if it took a week, parents said they were happy the areas were finally cleared.