On August 19, 2025, Michigan City Area Schools in Indiana were forced to cancel in-person classes on the fifth day of the school year after discovering that the catalytic converters from approximately 20 of their buses had been stolen. The vandalism was detected early Tuesday morning by transportation staff, prompting the district to switch to online learning due to the inability to transport students.

The school district is collaborating with the Michigan City Police Department to investigate the incident, acknowledging the disruption caused and expressing gratitude for the community’s patience. The district committed to providing updates on how the rest of the week might be affected as they address this unexpected challenge.