Catalytic converters stolen from 20 Indiana school buses

A school district in northern Indiana had to close its schools on Tuesday after someone stole the catalytic converters from 20 of its buses.

According to a Facebook post from Michigan City Area Schools, transportation staff discovered early Tuesday morning that the buses had been vandalized.

The district said it was forced to switch from in-person learning to online learning due to the thefts.

Catalytic converter theft from school buses has been trending this year, especially in the upper Midwest.

In June, 20 buses were similarly vandalized in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

In April, the entire fleet of more than a dozen buses in Bourbonnais, Illiois were stolen.

In February, 30 converters were cut off of buses in Joliet, Illinois.

Also in February, another four buses were damaged in Batavia, Illinois.

Each converter, sawed off in a matter of a few minutes, can cost thousands to replace. Thefts from passenger cars have been common for decades since the converters became required in the mid-70s. The parts are stolen for the metals they contain, like platinum, palladium and rhodium, with just a few grams worth a few hundred dollars.