Vandalism to school property is on the rise in the Comox Valley.
School District 71 says in the past month, Comox Valley schools have been the target of several acts of vandalism.
Superintendent Tom Demeo says it’s becoming harder to control and more expensive to fix.
“Creating and maintaining safe learning spaces before, during and after school hours is a focal point of our facilities management and operations plan,” stated Tom Demeo, Superintendent of Schools.
“Unfortunately, vandalism and graffiti cost the District a great deal of money and time
in repairs and can contribute to a perception that our facilities and property are not well-cared for or are unsafe environments for students and staff,” Demeo added.
SD71 is asking students and residents to be extra vigilant and watch for questionable
activity on school grounds after hours and share with others just how much the damages affect students and staff.
“We aren’t necessarily expecting the community to police school properties,” explained Demeo.
“Our hope is to build a better understanding around the fact that vandalism causes the District to use its resources to repair the damage instead of allocating these important funds to our schools for the benefit of staff and students.”
The Comox Valley RCMP and SD71 are calling on the public to report any suspicious behaviour that neighbours or bystanders may have witnessed at any school over the past couple of weeks.
