Area school children were enjoying a day off from school while municipal public works crews were busy clearing up to 21 inches of snow from town roads.

David Errington, Mexico’s public works director, said his five-man crew began plowing that town’s 26 miles of road at 2 p.m. Sunday. By early Monday afternoon they were still at it and about ready for sleep.

But not for long.

They needed to be back behind the wheel Tuesday to salt. Salting the roads would have done little good Monday, because it was so cold, said Errington.

During this largest storm of the season so far, Errington also called in three part-time employees to help the plow crew.

In Dixfield, road foreman Leo Jolin said the same thing about salting. His four-man crew, and one part-timer, worked until 2 p.m. Monday, then got some sleep.

They planned to scrape down the roads late Monday, then apply the salt.

Dixfield is awaiting approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection to dump snow on a portion of McGouldrick Park, located off Weld Street. Until then, the town has no place to dispose of it. He said the owners of Archie’s Inc. agreed to let the town crew temporarily use a site in Mexico.

The Mexico crew also uses that site along Route 2.

Just a couple of days before school lets out for a nearly two-week holiday recess, children in SADs 21, 39, 43 and 44 got an extra day off. The school districts range from Bethel to Buckfield.

For most kids, it was the second snow day of the school year. SAD 39 has also had two late starts. Students in SAD 43 return on Tuesday for a half-day. Those in the three other districts go for the whole day.

It was the third snow day for SAD 44.

All but SAD 21 add snow days to the school calendar. In Dixfield, five snow days have been built in, said Superintendent Tom Ward.