Some of the damage that was left in the wake of the attack | Image Cooranbong P&C Facebook
A local school is counting its losses this week after the canteen was vandalised on the eve of school holidays.
The canteen at Cooranbong Public was completely destroyed between Thursday night and the early hours of Friday morning.
The school’s Parents and Citizens Association said doors had been broken, windows smashed, appliances destroyed, including stock fridges which were toppled over.
The damage bill is expected to be in the thousands.
The P&C took to social media to call on anyone in the community with information to come forward, and to express just how devastating a blow the incident had been.
“It breaks our hearts and effects us personally to see things like this as we have worked so hard to get over the losses from previous P&C,” the Association said in the post.
“The last 4 years the P&C has recovered from huge loss, we are finally back in a positive position so this hits really hard. It will take time to come back from this, not just for the P&C but also for the students that are now worried by what has happened at their school”
“With time, work and fundraising to replace all things damaged, broken or destroyed we will be back.”
Term broke for the April holiday on Friday, leading to concerns about the potential for further attacks to be carried out.
In a statement posted on Friday, Cooranbong Public said safety and security of the school was paramount at all times.
“We are committed to taking every necessary measure to protect our students, staff, and facilities”
“With the holidays fast approaching, our school may become more vulnerable to intruders. We urge each member of our community to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately”
“If you notice anything out of the ordinary, whether during school hours or throughout the holiday break, please reach out to our school security team at 1300 88 00 21 or contact the police.”
There will be upgrades going on at the school during the break with work crews carrying out driveway and wifi improvements, and the grounds will also be used for a cricket program.
Anyone with information about the canteen break in is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.