WILMINGTON, N.C. — Thirty-five buses in New Hanover County Schools’ (NHCS) Laney Bus Garage were vandalized over the weekend, delaying many bus pickups on Monday.

The latest buses dropped middle school students off at school around 9:15 a.m. For Monday’s afternoon service, the NHCS transportation department planned to double up several of the bus runs to transport students home.

Families on certain bus routes were expected to be impacted Tuesday morning, with some buses running later than normal. NHCS notified parents and schools if students at their particular schools were on delayed bus routes.

However, Transportation Director Ken Nance said that he expected buses would run closer to the normal schedule on Tuesday because NHCS rearranged its bus fleet to accommodate the schedule with fewer vehicles.

The estimated cost of damage from the vandalism is between $14,000 and $18,000, including labor costs, according to Nance. Assuming that all of the necessary parts are delivered on Tuesday, NHCS expects all buses to be completely on a regular schedule by Dec. 2.

A law enforcement investigation is currently underway. There are no further details at this time regarding suspects, according to NHCS. NHCS is working closely with law enforcement officials to find out who may have been involved in the crime.