BA Man Donates Bus To School After Buses Stolen, Burned

The Twin Hills school district is getting good news after finding two stolen school buses torched.

A Broken Arrow business owner who saw the story on the news is donating a replacement to the school.

The charred shell of one of two stolen buses sits alone behind the Twin Hills school; the other is burned so badly it needs special equipment to move.

"We really felt we would find them the next morning, maybe abandoned," Superintendent Gary McElroy said.

McElroy said surveillance video shows three people roaming the school campus - drinking beer and taking selfies on the playground equipment.

They later go to the bus barn and steal one bus; nearly four hours later, they return for the second.

8/24/2016 Related Story: Buses Stolen From Twin Hills School District Found Burned

"The initial reaction, the first night and next morning, was everybody when they are young does some stupid things,” McElroy said.

The theft and vandalism made the superintendent angry, but that feeling is fading thanks to the goodness of others.

Dean Burke owns the Great Plains Resource Surplus store in Broken Arrow. He has no ties to the school, but that’s not stopping him from helping.

"We had purchased a bus ourselves so we were waiting on selling it, and then this issue happened, and in order to help them out, we just donated it to them," he said.

Burke said knowing the challenges of losing such expensive items compelled him to step up.

"We're gonna hand the keys and title to him, and we're gonna shake his hand and hug his neck and tell him we're sorry it happened," Burke said.

School representatives plan to pick up the bus Friday morning.

The school has been combining bus routes.

There is also a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest.