Update posted August 17 at 9:48 a.m.:

(Batesville, Ind.) – School delays are common in the midst of winter, but not August.

Students of Batesville Community Schools were able to sleep in after a 90 minute delay was ordered Tuesday. As the district’s school bus drivers arrived to work around 6:00 a.m. they discovered tires on the buses had been deflated.

Batesville Police Lieutenant Gandy Browning said 30 tires on 17 buses in all had their valve stems cut off by a vandal or vandals.  There are about 20 buses in the fleet that transports students before and after school.

Batesville Police have not yet identified any suspects but continue to investigate.  No surveillance cameras were set up near the bus parking lot, said Browning.

Browning said all the damaged buses had been repaired by about 9:30 and should be ready for the afternoon routes.

Other area school corporations including Franklin County and Oldenburg helped bailout Batesville Schools by lending their buses for the morning.

Browning also credited area service stations for lending manpower and supplies necessary to repair or replace the damaged tires.

Original story posted August 17 at 6:38 a.m.:

(Batesville, Ind.) – The school day will get off to a late start at Batesville Community Schools on Tuesday.

Superintendent Jim Roberts says the district is going on a 90 minute delay because of vandalism to the district’s school buses.

Roberts said it appears that valve stems were cut on tires on some of the buses causing them to go flat.