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Vandals tear up 26 rooms at school
By DONNA WINCHESTER, Times Staff Writer
PINELLAS PARK -- More than 170 students at Skyview Elementary were moved to the cafeteria Monday after vandals broke into the school over the weekend and destroyed equipment in 26 rooms. The vandals discharged fire extinguishers in eight classrooms, leaving a fine powder that settled on surfaces and seeped into the air conditioning system, principal Doug Cowley said. They also smashed TV sets and overhead projectors, poured glue and water into computers and overturned desks and chairs. Cowley estimated damage to computers alone at $15,000 to $22,500. He rescheduled tonight's open house for Sept. 4. About 60 teachers and parents spent most of Sunday cleaning and reorganizing classrooms. Office personnel fielded calls Monday from parents and former students offering cleanup help. They also spoke with local businesses and administrators from other schools who offered replacement equipment. The district's environmental engineer, who inspected the school Monday morning, recommended that six classes be relocated until the rooms can be cleaned and ventilated. The work should be completed by the end of the week, said district spokesman Ron Stone. He said the extent of the damage won't be known until the district's risk management department completes its report. Monday morning and were following instructions from their teachers, Cowley said. Many ate lunch in their classrooms to make room for the classroom relocation. Three 14-year-old boys were charged with burglary, grand theft and criminal mischief after the incident on Saturday. A teacher who was working at the school at 8601 60th St. N saw the teens and detained one of them, which led to their arrest, officials said. They were taken to the juvenile assessment center and released to their parents. They are not being identified by the Times because of their ages.
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