AUSTINTOWN Vandals damage nine buses, forcing schools to start late

AUSTINTOWN -- The start of school here was delayed two hours this morning for 3,200 middle and elementary school pupils after vandals caused extensive damage to nine school buses.
Stan Watson, the district's assistant superintendent in charge of transportation, said on six of the nine buses, a large bundle of wires leading from the engine compartment to the steering column was cut. On three others, the ignitions were damaged. On some of the buses, turning signals were broken off.
Repairs will cost thousands of dollars, said Watson, adding he had yet to calculate a total damage estimate.
Fire extinguishers also were discharged in the buses, which will be expensive to clean up because of the time involved.
The nine buses were parked in a fenced lot behind Austintown Middle School on Mahoning Avenue. Watson said the vandalism probably occurred sometime Saturday because other buses that returned to the lot late Saturday were not damaged.
One of the damaged buses was a year old. The others were older. The district has 60 buses, most of which are kept in a building.