MONROE - Monroe school district officials are considering 24-hour security at all district buildings over the weekend following Friday's closing of all schools due to vandalism at the High School.
All weekend school activities will take place, including sports, but added security of some kind will be in place, Superintendent Larry Brown said Friday.
Brown said the school day lost Friday will be made up.
"If this was another snow day in February, we would have to make it up," Brown said.
School was scheduled to end June 11, but now it may continue through June 12. Brown said he'll talk with the school board about how to make up the day before a final decision is made.
Schools officials announced vandalism at Monroe High School forced the closing of all Monroe schools Friday; the decision was posted on the district's Web site at about 7 a.m. The district posted a link to a single sentence saying, "All Monroe schools are closed today, Friday, April 17 due to building vandalism."
Numerous windows at the High School were shot out with some type of projectile, Brown said.
Seven to eight windows in the entry way of the Performing Arts Center and another nine windows in the rear of the school were shot out with some weapon no larger than a pellet gun or sling shot, Brown said. There were no rocks left at the scene, and the extent of the damage lent to the conclusion a weapon was used, he said.
"They were definitely shot with some type of projectile," Brown said.
In a news release Friday, Police Chief Fred Kelley said the estimated damage to the school windows was about $5,000.
Kelley noted the holes left in the glass of the entry way doors looked like they were created by a small weapon.
Monroe Police went door to door Friday looking for witnesses, Kelley said, in addition to reviewing surveillance footage. Kelley said evidence has been collected and the police department has received some tips.
Brown has not yet talked to Kelley about using police officers as 24-hour, on-site security, but he will be asking for increased patrols in the area, he said.
Maintenance workers reported the vandalism, Brown said, which likely occurred sometime after 11 p.m. Thursday because there was an event until that time at the school.
At about 6:45 a.m., district officials decided to close all schools, said Jennifer Thayer, director of curriculum and instruction.
Brown was informed of the damage at about 6 a.m. at his home; after conferring with others the decision was made to hold buses until the call was made to close the schools, Brown said.
Schools officials determined to close all the schools due to concerns after recent written school threats forced the evacuation at the High School and Middle School, he said. Threats left in the bathrooms at the High School and Middle School forced evacuations March 26 and 30, and March 31, respectively.
Brown did not believe Friday's vandalism is related to the school threats. Kelley said there appears to be no connection.
Information did not get directly relayed to parents Friday until 7:30 a.m. because the district's e-mail system had technical problems, Thayer said.
Some students did show up to schools and were told by staff to head home, Brown said.
Michael Wolfe, a junior at the High School, was turned away when he arrived for practice at 6:15 a.m.
"We saw it when we got here," he said.
The closings of Monroe's public schools also forced St. Victor School to close because it shares buses with the Monroe district. St. Victor Catholic Church parish chairman Mark Coplien said he agreed with the school district's decision to cancel classes, but said the closings are "just crawling into these guys' (vandals') hands."
- Times reporters Tere Dunlap and Brian Gray contributed to this story.
All weekend school activities will take place, including sports, but added security of some kind will be in place, Superintendent Larry Brown said Friday.
Brown said the school day lost Friday will be made up.
"If this was another snow day in February, we would have to make it up," Brown said.
School was scheduled to end June 11, but now it may continue through June 12. Brown said he'll talk with the school board about how to make up the day before a final decision is made.
Schools officials announced vandalism at Monroe High School forced the closing of all Monroe schools Friday; the decision was posted on the district's Web site at about 7 a.m. The district posted a link to a single sentence saying, "All Monroe schools are closed today, Friday, April 17 due to building vandalism."
Numerous windows at the High School were shot out with some type of projectile, Brown said.
Seven to eight windows in the entry way of the Performing Arts Center and another nine windows in the rear of the school were shot out with some weapon no larger than a pellet gun or sling shot, Brown said. There were no rocks left at the scene, and the extent of the damage lent to the conclusion a weapon was used, he said.
"They were definitely shot with some type of projectile," Brown said.
In a news release Friday, Police Chief Fred Kelley said the estimated damage to the school windows was about $5,000.
Kelley noted the holes left in the glass of the entry way doors looked like they were created by a small weapon.
Monroe Police went door to door Friday looking for witnesses, Kelley said, in addition to reviewing surveillance footage. Kelley said evidence has been collected and the police department has received some tips.
Brown has not yet talked to Kelley about using police officers as 24-hour, on-site security, but he will be asking for increased patrols in the area, he said.
Maintenance workers reported the vandalism, Brown said, which likely occurred sometime after 11 p.m. Thursday because there was an event until that time at the school.
At about 6:45 a.m., district officials decided to close all schools, said Jennifer Thayer, director of curriculum and instruction.
Brown was informed of the damage at about 6 a.m. at his home; after conferring with others the decision was made to hold buses until the call was made to close the schools, Brown said.
Schools officials determined to close all the schools due to concerns after recent written school threats forced the evacuation at the High School and Middle School, he said. Threats left in the bathrooms at the High School and Middle School forced evacuations March 26 and 30, and March 31, respectively.
Brown did not believe Friday's vandalism is related to the school threats. Kelley said there appears to be no connection.
Information did not get directly relayed to parents Friday until 7:30 a.m. because the district's e-mail system had technical problems, Thayer said.
Some students did show up to schools and were told by staff to head home, Brown said.
Michael Wolfe, a junior at the High School, was turned away when he arrived for practice at 6:15 a.m.
"We saw it when we got here," he said.
The closings of Monroe's public schools also forced St. Victor School to close because it shares buses with the Monroe district. St. Victor Catholic Church parish chairman Mark Coplien said he agreed with the school district's decision to cancel classes, but said the closings are "just crawling into these guys' (vandals') hands."
- Times reporters Tere Dunlap and Brian Gray contributed to this story.