Clark Fork students face felony charges

Four Clark Fork High School students will be charged with felonies after vandalizing school buses and causing two-hour delays for about 50 students Thursday morning, according to the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office.

Buses at Hope Elementary School and Clark Fork High School/Middle School had numerous windows broken out and their diesel engines unplugged sometime late Wednesday or early Thursday, preventing them from starting in the cold, snowy morning.

No other buses were available in the rural area to get students who relied on them to school on time.

“We view this as well beyond a prank,” said Dick Cvitanich, superintendent of the Lake Pend Oreille School District.

“When we can’t meet assigned bus runs, that puts our students at risk, especially with the snow.”

The suspects – a male and three females between the ages of 14 and 17, according to the Sheriff’s Office – were arrested later that day, some at the Clark Fork school, Cvitanich said.

School officials estimate the damage at $1,400 – well above the $1,000 needed to warrant felony charges of malicious injury to property, said Lt. Jim Drake of the Sheriff’s Office.

The district’s transportation director reported the vandalism to Cvitanich at about 5 a.m. Thursday.

Bus drivers called students on the affected routes to inform them of the delay.

Security cameras recorded the crimes, and school employees recognized the vehicle one of the students drove.

Cvitanich said that, along with the criminal charges, the students will be disciplined by the school district.