BusTalk

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Classes canceled after buses are vandalized in Barrington
by Mark Shuman and Mary Ann Fergus
Chicago Tribune, 12/4/2007

About 35 school buses were vandalized overnight in a prank that caused the closing of all Barrington Community Unit School District 220 campuses today.

Tires on those buses were punctured -- and "Class of 2008" was spray-painted on one -- sometime between 9:30 p.m. last night and early this morning, said John Sander, a safety officer for the Barrington Transportation Co., which owns the vehicles. Sander said about 60 to 70 tires were punctured, and he estimated the damage at up to $20,000.

Classes for the 12 schools' 9,200 students are expected to resume tomorrow. The district serves parts of Cook, Lake, Kane and McHenry Counties.

Home basketball games at both district middle schools will be played today as scheduled. But all other practices and activities at the middle schools have been canceled. Practices and co-curricular activities at Barrington High School will continue as scheduled.

About a dozen people are working this afternoon to replace the tires, Sander said. A truckload of replacement tires arrived around noon.

"It's kind of mixed feelings for us. Sixty-one years ago, my grandparents started this business so there's a personal attachment to the company," he said.

"It's personal. It hurts. But at the same time, you have to get the kids out and ready for school tomorrow."

The buses were in a Barrington parking lot fenced on three sides near a road and railroad tracks, Sander said. There have been plans to install surveillance cameras, he said, because of other recent instances of vandalism.

A mechanic discovered the vandalism around 4 a.m. this morning. Supt. Tom Leonard received the news of the vandalism at about 5:30 a.m., spokeswoman Debbie Villers said.

"After conversations with the bus company, we determined that there was no way to transport all our students to school without significant delays," Leonard wrote in his letter to parents. "Due to cold weather, we did not want our students waiting at bus stops for long periods of time."

"I was very upset that someone would have done that and the extent of the damage," said Jennifer Bulandr, a Barrington Hills mother whose three children take the bus. "I was flabbergasted that somebody had that much time on their hands to go and trouble themselves with that many buses."

Bulandr and other parents praised the district for keeping them updated with automated phone call messages and e-mail messages.

Of the 9,200 students in the sprawling district, more than 7,000 are assigned bus routes, Leonard said.

The district Web site and co-curricular hotline (847-842-3292) will provide updated information about other district activities and events.

Barrington Police Deputy Chief Jerry Libit said police are optimistic they will find and arrest the vandals, who are believed to be local high schoolers.

"Hopefully, we'll come up with something soon. These are kids. They'll talk and brag about it," Libit said.

Two school liaison officers are working on the investigation, he said.