Talk about a nightmare way to start the school week.
Thousands of families in an Upstate New York school district were left scrambling Tuesday morning after vandals damaged an entire fleet of school buses, leaving approximately 1,800 students without their usual transportation.
The vandalism happened at a Durham School Services bus lot in Schenectady, where 45 buses were damaged sometime over the long holiday weekend.
And we're not talking about a little graffiti. Several buses were left with shattered windows and punctured tires, making them unsafe to operate.
Entire School Bus Fleet Taken Out of Service
The damage was discovered around 5:40 Tuesday morning, October 13, when employees arrived at the bus lot on Sterling Avenue.
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With the buses unable to hit the road, the Schenectady City School District had to quickly notify families that morning transportation would not be available for students who normally ride Durham buses.
Parents were encouraged to drive, carpool, or have their children walk to school if possible.
The problem? Many families didn't receive the notification until around 7 a.m., when some students were already standing at their bus stops waiting for rides that weren't coming.
Parents Scramble to Get Kids to School
Imagine getting the kids up, dressed, fed, and out the door, only to find out their school bus isn't coming. Now imagine trying to figure out how to get them to school while also making it to work on time.
That's exactly what hundreds of Schenectady families were dealing with Tuesday morning. Some parents scrambled to arrange carpools, while others had to rearrange their work schedules to get their children to class.
According to the Times Union, a group of high school students even walked more than an hour to get to school after learning their bus wouldn't be coming.
Despite the transportation mess, classes were not canceled. The district has approximately 9,000 students, meaning the vandalism disrupted transportation for about 20% of its student population.
Backup Buses Secured for Students
Thankfully, the district was able to find a temporary solution before the end of the school day.
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By early Tuesday afternoon, officials announced they had secured help from other transportation companies to get students home.
Transportation was also arranged for after-school programs, although families were warned that some students could arrive home later than usual because drivers would be covering unfamiliar routes.
The district also confirmed that bus transportation would be available today, Wednesday, October 14.
Repairs to the damaged buses are expected to take several days, so backup transportation may still be needed.
Police Investigating School Bus Vandalism
Schenectady Police are investigating the vandalism, which is believed to have happened sometime between Friday afternoon and early Tuesday morning.
Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from cameras at the bus lot as they work to determine who was responsible. The total cost of the damage has not yet been determined, and no arrests have been announced.
Back in my day, when kids didn't want to go to school - they pulled the fire alarm, not damage a whole fleet of buses.
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