Hartline school damaged by burglars
School flooded when fire hydrant faucet turned on
HARTLINE — Burglars damaged Almira-Coulee-Hartline High School extensively over the Thanksgiving holiday when they turned on a fire hydrant faucet inside the school which flooded the building until the incident was discovered Saturday morning.
Eight laptop computers and a digital camera were stolen from a classroom during the heist and flood damage estimates are up to $300,000, Grant County Sheriff's Deputy Courtney Conklin said.
Conklin said school board officials are estimating the building may be shut down for up to four months while repairs are completed.
No one has been arrested so far in the burglary incident, and authorities have no suspects or leads.
"It's a very serious issue," Conklin said. "I don't think they (those responsible) know the ramifications of what they did."
Law enforcement officials believe the burglar, or burglars, entered the building sometime Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. The subjects then are believed to have pried open a science classroom door where the camera and computers were located. Before leaving the building, they turned on a fire hose faucet on the second floor, causing the extensive flood damage, Conklin said.
Coulee-Hartline School District Superintendent Edward Fisk said there will be no school today or Tuesday.
He did not know who was responsible for the incident.
Fisk said the burglars most likely entered through a window or door in the building between 2-5 a.m. Saturday.
"They caused extensive damage, but we're still assessing that," Fisk said.
He said the old school building was built about 1928.
Clean up has been under way since Saturday. An electrician is expected to come today to examine the extent of the damage.
Secretary Kathy Jordan with the CHSD said the school board is expected to make a decision today on how long school closures are expected to last.
"We've gotta get our kids back in school," Jordan said.
— Herald staff writer Aimee Hornberger contributed to this report.