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School bus vandalism cancels school in Merrimack Valley District

PENACOOK – April vacation began a little early for Merrimack Valley School District students Friday.

Bus drivers arriving to begin their day a little before 6 a.m. found the air had been let out of at least one tire on 27 school buses in a parking area at Merrimack Valley High School.

After a few phone calls were made to assess the situation, it quickly became apparent “we could not get the buses up and running before the start of school so we had to call it off,” said Assistant Superintendent Christine Barry.

The Merrimack Valley School District includes Penacook, a section of Concord, and the towns of Boscawen, Loudon, Salisbury and Webster. Andover high school also students attend Merrimack Valley High School.

Barry said from what officials could tell, vandals just let the air out of the tires. There is no evidence any tires had been slashed, she said.

She said it is too early to determine what the vandalism might cost the district.

“It was hard to tell this morning, what the damage might be,” Barry said. The tires may be damaged and some of the rims were becoming dislodged from the weight of the buses, she said.

“We haven’t had anything like this before,” Barry said.

She said officials have not discussed whether to ask the state Department of Education to waive the lost day or if it must be made up before school ends in June. The district had five snow days this school year, she said, which had been built into the school calendar.

Barry said there are surveillance cameras outside of the school building. Concord police said they are investigating the case and reviewing the surveillance video from the nearby cameras. Anyone with information can contact the Concord Regional Crimeline at 226-3100. The organization pays rewards of up to $ 1,000.

School bus vandalism cancels school in Merrimack Valley District