Damage to Moturoa School in New Plymouth. Photo / Supplied
Damage to Moturoa School in New Plymouth. Photo / Supplied
A New Plymouth primary school has been left with a $6000 clean up bill after vandals ransacked the pool area and left a swastika made of tyres on the field.
The incident happened at Moturoa School some time after the last teacher left about 5.30pm on Tuesday May 16 and before the first teacher arrived about 7.30am the next day.
The vandals also scaled the flag pole to steal the school's Maori flag, but left the New Zealand national flag where it was.
The swastika at the school. Photo / Supplied
They moved scores of tyres that were being used to stop a bank from eroding and arranged them in the shape of a swastika on the school's field.
Principal Delwyn Riding said the incident was "senseless".
"Who does that?"
The pool fence, changing rooms doors, pool cover and TV aerial were damaged and 2.4m by 1.2m art murals made by the students were pulled from the wall and thrown into the pool.
"I think it's absolutely bizarre. I've worked in schools a very long time and I've never seen anything like that - not to that sort of extreme," Riding said.
She told the Herald she had no clue why the vandals targeted the Moturoa School.
"We're a really peaceful school and we don't have any problems of this kind, ever."
Members of the board of trustees were "just disgusted" by what had happened, Riding said.
The pool cover, which was brand new and cost $1900, was insured under the school's contents policy but the rest of the damage wouldn't be covered by insurance
Damaga at the school. Photo / Supplied
Riding hid the vandalism from students and parents for a week to avoid upsetting them, before announcing what had happened in the school newsletter on May 25.
The community then rallied around the school, with shocked parents offering to help out however they could.
"The unity in our school is just magical really," Riding said.
The school had just spent $30,000 fixing the pool's lining, which had been leaking, before the pool was vandalised.
Local businesses had sponsored the renovation effort and parents had chipped in by organising fundraising activities.
"They put their heart and soul into it. I feel stink for them because they raised all the money for it and then someone comes and does that."
