The Simcoe County District School Board has made a major effort in reducing vandalism as its schools.
The board has managed to reduce by a quarter of a million dollars the damage done by vandals at its elementary and secondary schools.
In an effort to reduce the incidence and cost of vandalism, which were nearing the $1-million mark in 2006, the SCDSB formed a Vandalism Project Team.
This team, which is comprised of school administrators and board staff, was tasked with collecting and analyzing data on the when, where and how of vandalism to SCDSB property.
In the 2006-2007 school year, the cost of vandalism was $942,119.
The Vandalism Project Team has successfully reduced this amount to $673,028 in the 2009-2010 school year.
Mark Twardowski, Manager of Building and Environmental Services says by bringing this problem front and centre the school community has been able to deal with vandalism.
In addition the School Board is also partenering with Crime Stoppers to help eliminate the problem and encourage students to report any incidents of vandalism.
Twardowski says they are also looking at the enviornment and school design as a way of reducing vandalism by examining Landscaping and maintenance , low-hanging branches or thick bush and lighting and alcoves and how that can be changed.
He says students also are helping out battling the problem because once they relaize the cost of vandalism, they understand it could mean cuts to programs and materials.
