Yellowknife (Oct 11/06) - Yellowknife Education District 1 spent $70,000 in 2005 to clean up vandalism that included graffiti and broken windows, its superintendent said last week.

Metro Huculak recently had a meeting with the City of Yellowknife and RCMP to discuss vandalism, which has been sweeping through the capital's two education districts.

"(The amount) varies, but this last year it cost us $70,000," he said.

Schools have a budget for vandalism but Huculak feels that it's "money that could be better spent.

"The RCMP think that it's a normal thing."

Yellowknife's Catholic school district isn't free of vandalism. Aside from a devastating fire at St. Joseph's school the summer, its buildings also experience broken windows and graffiti.

However, insurance companies rarely pay out for graffiti, said Mike Huvenaars, the assistant superintendent of business with Yellowknife Catholic Schools.

"The insurance covers over $5000," he said. If the damage is less, there is no pay out.

Randy Caines, assistant principal at Mildred Hall school, said vandalism amounts to more than just broken windows and spray-painted walls.

"It costs the district, as well us time and energy. It makes our school not aesthetically pleasing. It's unfortunate."

NJ Macpherson school, near St Joseph's school on Range Lake Road, also suffers from the scourge of vandalism.

School officials have put cages over some of the windows on one side of the school, said assistant principal, Rob Battiste. "That has helped to deter some of the vandalism."

Not all windows are covered however, and those left exposed are often smashed.

Like Caines, Battiste said the look isn't nice.

"We had one of our front door windows broken in the first week of school," he said.

Since the St. Joseph's fire, all schools have had security guards patrolling their grounds, according to principals. However, the solution to vandalism isn't an easy one.

"It's especially hard to catch someone, unless you're there to catch them in the act," Battiste said.

"The problem is, maybe not the catching of the vandals, but the rumour is that they're really young, and you can't really do anything when they're young," Huculak said.