Merced Union High School District's shoestring budget hasn't stopped vandals.
Last week, an unknown person shot out three windows on two portable classrooms and two side windows of a custodian pickup truck at Golden Valley High School.
The incident happened after night custodians left the campus at 10:45 p.m. Thursday, said Diane Hockersmith, chief business officer for MUHSD, in a report. There were no witnesses.
Nothing was stolen from the classrooms or the truck.
At the time of the shooting, one of the campus' six surveillance cameras, the one nearest the incident, wasn't working, district officials said.
Golden Valley Associate Principal Derek Pendley said he suspected a BB gun was used in the shooting because of the size of the holes.
The incident affected first-period classes because of the shattered glass, but beyond that there was no serious interruption to students, Pendley said.
According to Hockersmith, damages for the car window were estimated at $465 and repairs to the classroom windows is $1,300.
"It's just very frustrating because little things like this add up," Pendley said. "That could be a teacher a few years down the road."
This year, the Merced Union High School District instituted a spending freeze on all nonessential items.
The window replacements, an obvious necessity, are just one more tug at the district's already tight purse strings.
Reporter Jamie Oppenheim can be reached at (209) 385-2407 or joppenheim@mercedsun-star.com
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