OKMULGEE COUNTY, Okla. – Twin Hill School has been forced to find alternate transportation after two school buses were swiped overnight at Twin Hill.
Authorities are searching for the missing buses after three subjects climbed the fence to drink beers on the playground before taking the vehicles, reports the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators says the suspects first took one bus by ramming open the gate around 12:30 and left northbound, then returned at 4:30 a.m. to steal another bus and headed southbound.
“School bus thefts aren’t real common so most likely they’ve been abandoned somewhere in the area,” said Duston Todd, Okmulgee County Sheriff’s investigator.
Now, unless the buses are found, the school will have to purchase replacements and officials says that’s not financially possible at this point.
Twin Hills School Superintendent Gary McElroy says stolen school buses are the last thing the district needs. He went on to say that “with the state of things in public education, that’s just not another hit we [Twin Hills Schools] needed to take.”
McElroy says the buses cost roughly $60,000 to replace that’s a price he says the district can’t afford.
“We pinch money everywhere we can and just to know they could have cost that much to the community and the school, that’s what bothers me the most.”
He went on to say the missing buses won’t impact student bus routes, but if one of their buses breaks down, they’ll have to use their spare activity bus.
“We only run a six bus fleet, but we have one break down every two or three weeks so it’s pretty common to have a battery dead or flat tires. It’s pretty important to have a spare,” said McElroy.
Investigators say they don’t have any leads at this time and those with any information are asked to call 911.
