U-46 hiring security to watch buses

In response to a recent rash of school bus vandalism in the suburbs, Elgin Area School District U-46 is beefing up security measures.

The district's 300 buses are parked in a central Elgin location and bound by a fence. "Typically that precludes police officers from getting in or patrolling (the lot)," said John Heiderscheidt, U-46's safety coordinator.

Because the bus lot does not have security cameras, U-46 has hired guards from a private security firm to watch the lot.

It's "not something we normally do all the time. We felt we had to take a proactive stance on this," Heiderscheidt said.

Last Friday, Kaneland Unit District 302 bus drivers found tires on about 45 buses deflated, causing the district to cancel school for the day. Over the weekend, vandals punctured 115 tires on 85 Naperville Unit District 203 buses. District officials estimate repair costs to top $30,000.

"We've never had a problem like this before, but we need to make sure it doesn't happen again," District 203 Superintendent Alan Leis told the Daily Herald Monday.

The district is filing a claim with its insurance company for the damages and plans to add additional security measures to the facility, Leis said.

U-46's transportation department director, Andy Martin, watches cases of vandalism closely, Heiderscheidt said. "When we see these incidents occur locally, we respond specifically."

Getting the district's 41,000 students from 11 communities on their buses and to their schools is a top priority, Heiderscheidt said.

Neighboring Community Unit District 300 has no plans to introduce additional security, transportation director Donna Borsden said. Its 194 buses are kept in three separate lots in Carpentersville, Algonquin and Hampshire. "We have an electronic alarm system in each of the locked lots," Borsden said. "So they're safe."

U-46 would "definitely prosecute anybody that's found damaging our equipment," Heiderscheidt said. "This is not taken as a prank. … This is criminal damage to state property."

Bus: Tire slashing seen as criminal damage