No busing in Oshkosh Area School District after catalytic converter thieves strike again

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - There will be no busing in the Oshkosh Area School District Thursday after thieves once again stole catalytic converters from school buses.

A letter sent to Oshkosh families says families will have to make other plans to get students to school.

Wednesday night, Kobussen had catalytic converters stolen from their entire fleet in Oshkosh. That includes buses brought in from other terminals to help after a theft earlier this week.

“While Kobussen had made every effort to resume regular busing for the OASD today, they have no option due to additional overnight thefts,” reads a letter sent to parents. “We understand this is a significant inconvenience and apologize for the disruption it causes you.”

The district is unsure at this time about busing for Friday.

On Wednesday, NBC15 News sister-station WBAY-TV reported that catalytic converters were stolen off 11 buses at the company’s Oshkosh location on Omro Road earlier this week.

This caused a delay for students waiting to be picked up. The Oshkosh school district alerted parents about the incident, and eventually, all the kids did get to school as Kobussen brought in buses from other areas of the Fox Valley.

We’re told there are no images of a suspect, but investigators are looking into potential leads and the possibility of a group of people who are responsible. Anyone with information about the thefts or who might be responsible should contact local police.

Over the past few years, the theft of catalytic converters has been a growing crime across Northeast Wisconsin. This is the first time it’s delayed the start of school for a large number of local students.

Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.