JOPLIN, Mo. — A gift of school bus yellow has arrived at Joplin Area Catholic Schools (JACS), whose elementary school was destroyed by the massive tornado that tore through Joplin in May.

John Corr, president of Spring Valley, N.Y.-based bus company The Trans Group, donated two large buses and one small bus to the school system. Three bus drivers left New York on Wednesday and presented the vessels at Joplin's McAuley Catholic High School on Friday afternoon.

On May 22, the deadly EF5 multiple-vortex tornado that struck Joplin leveled St. Mary's Parish, which includes an elementary school along with a church, rectory and parish center. Planning is underway for rebuilding.

Corr’s bus donation program is in cooperation with the Order of Malta, a worldwide lay religious order of the Roman Catholic Church. Corr has also recently sent vehicles to Haiti; Tampa, Fla.; and Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Ala.

“JACS is deeply grateful for the generosity of Mr. Corr and the Order of Malta as well as the facilitation of Catholic Charities USA,” the school system said. “JACS has incurred no expense for the delivery of the buses. We intend to serve this donation well through building our enrollment and providing transportation for students needing special services to designated public schools.”