School vandalism costs skyrocket

MAT-SU -- School administrators are crossing their fingers in hopes the upcoming academic year doesn't produce the same amount of vandalism as 2002-2003.

Mat-Su Borough School District usually incurs about $50,000 in annual vandalism costs, according to chief school administrator Bob Doyle. But a June 22 fire at Pioneer Peak Elementary School cost the district more than twice that amount by itself -- an estimated $125,000.

No one has been charged by police with the arson fire, and Doyle said Tuesday the district has no leads.

The fire occurred just after midnight, according to Alaska State Troopers, and destroyed one of three portable classrooms along with equipment in the building. Doyle said those responsible apparently burned a hole through the floor.

Portables are relatively inexpensive structures. The last six erected by the district were built with student labor, plus about $25,000 apiece in materials. The Pioneer Peak fire was so costly because of expensive science equipment and other supplies inside the portable, Doyle said.

Unlike Anchorage School District, Mat-Su schools have no contingency fund for vandalism. That means the lost science equipment won't be replaced unless an arrest is made and a repayment plan is agreed upon.

District spokeswoman Kim Floyd emphasized that damage such as broken windows, or other problems posing a safety threat, are quickly fixed. But in other cases, the impact is felt in the classroom.

Doyle said an extra teacher could be hired each year for the annual average vandalism cost. Years ago, the district carried a low insurance deductible to recover financial losses. Now the focus has shifted to repayment by parents.

"It got out there that the district was serious about having people repay the loss," Doyle said. "Before, there wasn't any consequence."

Another incidence of vandalism this spring caused between $10,000 and $11,000 damage at Trapper Creek School. Soda was poured into the back of computers, and large panes of glass were shattered, Doyle said. A sixth-grader and an eighth-grader at the school were linked to the acts, and parents have agreed to a schedule of payments to cover the entire loss, he said.

"We weren't just going to sit on our hands," Doyle said. "This is the public's money."

Parents can be held legally liable for up to $10,000 in damages caused by their children, he said.

Schools in high-traffic areas such as subdivisions receive less vandalism than more secluded schools such as Goose Bay and Butte, Doyle noted. Windows of more remote schools are typically boarded up during the summer to prevent rocks from being thrown through them, which is the most common type of school vandalism.

The district also has installed alarms in many schools that are activated by motion or by glass being broken.

"Hopefully we can respond and catch the person in the act," Doyle said.