School Vandalism May Cost Massachusetts Town $800K This Year
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -Springfield, Mass., officials expect that by December, vandals will cause approximately $800,000 of damage to city schools. That amount is estimated to account for about 40 percent of what the schools spend on maintenance.
Since January, about $300,000 of property damage has been reported, resulting in 400 repair orders. Most of the vandals responsible have not been apprehended, so only a small portion of the costs will be reimbursed by the culprits.
Six high school students are suspected of pushing a piano off a school stage, damaging auditorium seats and ripping the curtains. The damage totaled $100,000. Two other male students have been accused of causing $20,000 of damage by setting fires in a high school bathroom.
In response to the elevated rate of vandalism, school and Springfield officials are working together to increase supervision of students and control their access to schools during off hours. Some members of the city council are looking to make the culprits or their parents pay for the damage.
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