Vandalism still a problem for School District 52

With a new school year just nicely underway, School District 52 was proudly listing off some of the improvements made over the summer to the local centres of education.

From improved drainage, to new boilers and roofs, the summer months proved to be productive ones for the maintenance branch of the school district.

However, while there have been many new improvements made to area schools and old problem has continued to plague the School District that of vandalism to school properties, vandals and troublemakers had a busy summer as well as they wreaked havoc at a number of school properties across the city.

The Daily News featured details on all of the summer season positives and negatives in a front page story in Thursday's paper.

NEW ROOFS COVER STUDENTS RETURNING FROM SUMMER OFF

By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Pages one and three

Thoughts of what has gone on in Prince Rupert schools during the summer months is probably the last thing on most people's minds when they drop off children for class in September.

Yet there's a tremendous amount of work that needs to take place in schools between the end of June and beginning of September, most of which isn't possible when hundreds of kids are running around five days a week.

School District 52 Director of Operations Frank Shale is the man who oversees all of the work that happens in District 52's schools, and there was plenty of it to keep him and his staff occupied all summer.

"This year there were four roofing projects, one of which still has to be done because of weather conditions," said Shale. "The big painting jobs we did were painting all the hallways at Charles Hays and Prince Rupert Secondary School. The renovation at the science prep-lab at PRSS was a decent-sized project too, because of all the chemicals and acids that have been used in there over the years it needed a really good clean-up and renovation."

The number of projects that were completed is hard to fathom when looking at a detailed list of each school in Prince Rupert. Many schools had their windows cleaned and gym floors refinished, and all schools received their annual Fire Protection Services inspection to ensure all fire alarm systems, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers were operating properly.

Charles Hays had its lighting system upgraded to the new B.C. Power Smart Lighting system, Kanata had one of its raw sewage pumps repaired, and Roosevelt received a drainage system on the main entrance road courtesy of the city, which will help alleviate washouts.

"One project that I would say was a real benefit to a school would have been the replacement of the old gas furnaces in the old kindergarten and Grade 3 room at Conrad Elementary," said Shale. "It was a new small boiler and fresh air ventilation system that was put in there, so it's going to significantly cut gas costs, and as far as air quality goes it's far better and will eliminate all the old problems they were having."

One thing that has continued to be a problem for nearly all schools in the district is vandalism. Lax Kxeen had graffiti removed twice in August, Port Ed had two areas cleaned for graffiti at the back of the school, and the district's blue cube van was vandalized twice in the month of August.

In July, vandals did extensive damage to the Conrad playground by setting parts of it on fire as well as damaging a school surveillance camera.

Pineridge had an outdoor surveillance camera damaged by youths, and PRSS was the victim of extensive vandalism in July, when the school was paintballed, had three skylights cracked and smashed, and two doors broken. Vandalism cost District 52 $6,000 in materials and labour for the month of July, something Shale was obviously dismayed about.

"Nobody can remember vandalism around the schools the way it's been since this spring, and the Civic Centre can also attest to that," said Shale.

"We clean the graffiti off, but it stains the surface of the buildings, and the only way you can correct that is by painting. We ran out of time and weather this summer to paint it all, and we just couldn't keep up with graffiti removal."