Beloved school bus at Salem school trashed

Damage done in middle of day

An old minibus parked at The Greenhouse School in Salem was vandalized Tuesday while students were gardening on a sunny afternoon, according to the school’s directors.

A home security camera near the small private school on Route 1A caught four youths, who appear to be high school age, allegedly breaking into the bus, a fixture at the grade school since its founding in 1983.

For years, it was driven by “Mr. Frank,” the husband of founder Patricia Jennings Welch, whose son and daughterin-law now run the grade school.

The youths allegedly marked it up with crude graffiti, said Julia Nambalirwa-Lugudde, one of the school’s directors.

Unlike public institutions, The Greenhouse School does not close for school vacation weeks. Instead, the books are put away while students attend a “recreation week” during which they take on special projects.

“We were gardening outside, just a few feet from where this happened,” said Nambalirwa-Lugudde. “Then we came in, ate lunch, and went on a bike trip, discovering the damage on our return.”

Salem police were notified and responded. An investigation is underway.

“It’s just shocking,” said Dan Welch, a school director, “to see kids act so brazen, right out in the open, in the middle of the day.”

Although no longer on the road, “the bus is a bit of a school relic, or heirloom,” a reminder of the institution’s early years. In 2020, the school observed the 25th anniversary of the death of “Mr. Frank” with a special ceremony.

“We have always intended to raise money to fix it up or put it to some other use” Welch said. "My dad drove it, so it has some sentimental value.”

There were no updates on Wednesday, Welch said.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the school or Salem police.