With No Bus, Colorado Boy Has Very Unique Way Of Getting To School

School districts across the country are dealing with a severe shortage of bus drivers. This means students in Colorado are having to figure out alternative ways to get to school every day.

One student from Summit County has an especially creative way he travels to school each day.

When it became clear he wouldn't be taking the bus when the school year started, 12-year-old Josh Smith approached his parents with a unique plan.

“One night he said ‘hey instead of waiting on the bus, why don’t I just kayak to school?'” his father Jason told KDVR.

The family lives in Silverthorne which is about a five-mile drive from Summit Middle School. But Josh realized a more interesting route is directly across Dillon Reservoir.

“The easy answer would have been no, let me just drive you to school, if you can’t get on the bus, we’ll drive you to school, no problem,” said Smith. “But I have a 12-year-old who wants to be adventurous, wants to do something none of his buddies would do, and how can I say no to that?”

When the school year started, his parents dropped him off at the reservoir and Josh set off to cross the lake to school.

“I was late to one of my classes, and everyone was like Josh where were you we were worried, and I was like oh, I was kayaking to school,” he said.

Josh told KDVR he plans on trying to ski to school once the lake freezes.