Digging out to get back to school

WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) -- Some kids are pitching in to cleanup the snow in Waterbury so they can get back to school.

There was a conga line of shovels at Crosby High School. Many behind them are Waterbury teens working to get school back in session.

"With everyone together you know we can get it done, just have to work to it," said Jesse Coachman a junior at Wilby High School.

17-year-old Coachman says he doesn't want to make up school days in July so he came out armed a shovel.

"It's good. It pick up everything basically. It pick up ice too, that's a good help," said Coachman.

His cousin, Melvin Debose works beside him. He says there are two things motivating him.

"Probably the pay and also that I get to go back to school to see my friends," said Debose.

"The money we make from the winter shoveling sidewalks everything is the money I'm gonna be spending over spring break," said Debose.

Not only do they have these shovels at work, but they also brought in heavy equipment trying to get through this thick heavy snow.

"A lot of work, a lot of snow," said Rand Wheeler who drives a payloader. "We've been pushing it up for 8/9 hours now and there's a lot more coming in."

As they clear the parking lots and roads, more than 500 hundred teens and other community members get paid minimum wage, 8 dollars 25 cents an hour, to clear sidewalks and stairs.

To Debose and his cousin, it's something to do.

"I'd probably be inside playing my video games all day, that would be about it," said Debose. "I think the best part about this is probably all the honest work, you know? Just everybody getting out there and doing their thing. It's kinda nice."

If he likes this, that's good. The city says they still have days left of work around the schools to get them open.