Vandals write on more than just blackboard
By Rebecca Ray
On a recent morning, teachers and administrators at Saratoga Elementary School arrived to find the school in tatters.
Damage included obscenities and graffiti on the walls, paint splattered on the walls and floors, graffiti written on countertops and furniture, deep gouges in the hallway walls and various items stolen from the construction area. Although most of the damage occurred on the first and second stories of the new classroom building, there was also graffiti and evidence of fire in the historic building, Principal Marybarbara Zorio said.
The vandalism occurred sometime after 9 p.m. Feb. 12 and before school started at 7 a.m. Feb. 13, Deputy Ronald Breuss of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said.
Saratoga Union School District Facilities Director Paul Tipton estimates that approximately $15,000 to $20,000 in damage was done. Although a cleaning company has removed the paint from the carpet, it needs to be replaced.
Tackable wall surfaces also need to be replaced, and walls need to be repainted, including a wall in the historical building where chunks of drywall and plaster were scraped off when workers cleaned off the paint. The entire clean-up should probably be completed in two to three weeks, Tipton said.
The sheriff's office and Saratoga Fire District took fingerprints, measured footprints, photographed the damaged areas and are investigating the case.
Zorio and teachers spoke to students before they entered the building and encouraged them to share their reactions.
"As a mother and educator, I am angered and unnerved by this event," Zorio said. "I struggle to understand how people can take pleasure in these acts of hatred, in being 'on the outs' with society. Schools should be places where students, teachers and parents feel welcome and safe."
The sheriff's office requests that anyone who has knowledge about the crime should contact Detective Karen Burges at 408.867.9715.
|
Saratoga, California Since 1955
