News Releases
District seeks community support in stemming school vandalism
- Details
- By Robert Campbell
- Tuesday, December 20, 2011
- Hits: 372
Flint Community Schools is asking the community for its help in stopping the significant vandalism plaguing district schools. Vandalism has cost Flint Community Schools more than $1 million in replacement, labor and security charges over the past 18 months alone.
"Our students aren't responsible for this vandalism," said Superintendent Linda Thompson. "These crimes are being committed by individuals or groups of individuals who are profiting by taking from our kids. Not only is it illegal, but they're doing it on the backs of our students.
"We are asking for and need the community's help in stemming the systematic destruction of our community schools."
Thompson met Dec. 19 with Flint Public Safety Director Alvern Lock who has pledged the support of law enforcement in combating the problem. Meanwhile, citizens and neighborhood groups are asked to be watchful and vigilant in reporting vandalism.
Vandals are striking regularly at the district's opened and closed school buildings during the night on weekdays and weekends. Among the more egregious offenses — aluminum roof panels at Northwestern High School have been stolen in recent months and an air conditioning unit damaged, costing the district about $50,000 in extra maintenance.
For the current fiscal year, Flint Community Schools has spent $275,830 on repairing vandalized school buildings. It has also spent an additional $11,500 on security. The district spent about $800,000 in 2010-2011 fiscal year on fixing school buildings damaged by vandalism.
"This blows are a sizable hole in our budget. There is no way we can accurately anticipate this type of expense nor should we have to," Thompson said. "These are dollars that are needed in the classroom."
Board President Antoinette Lockett added that the damaged buildings also cause blight in the neighborhoods.
"We try to be very good neighbors with our buildings. Our maintenance personnel all work very hard to keep things looking good and operational," said Lockett. "But criminals are doing all that they can to destroy the fabric of our communities. It has to stop and we need our neighbors help."
In addition to Northwestern, construction cement at Brownell Elementary was damaged, and window vents were stolen from Bunche and Durant-Tuuri-Mott elementary schools. Construction materials were stolen from the roof of Southwestern Academy while it was undergoing renovation. The new exterior doors at Summerfield Elementary were damaged when the school was broken into. Thieves also stole computers and ransacked the building.
Potter, Washington, Holmes and Northern also have experienced significant vandalism.
Closed school buildings that are still owned and maintained by the district have become major targets. Homedale Elementary had to be torn down after an arsonist set it on fire in September 2010, causing extensive damage. Cook and Cody schools have been stripped for copper and other materials and windows stolen from Civic Park and Lowell.
The recently closed Wilkins Elementary was stripped of copper wiring and exterior lighting. Wilkins was to be a "staged school," that is, ready for occupancy if there was a need.
Citizens are asked to report any suspicious activity observed around school buildings to the Flint Police.
(Note: This report is provided as a service to our readers and a service to the group or individual mentioned in the release. Usually, only minor editing is done. The group or individual is responsible for all information provided.)
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