It's a sickening sight at Jefferson Elementary School in Clinton. There are smashed windows from pellet or BB guns. It's a blow to the building and morale.
"It just makes me kind of sad and mad at the same time," said Jacob Perales, 8, a Jefferson third grader.
The Jefferson damage is part of a spree that could cost $10,000 to fix. That's tough for parents to take.
"It was hard to see," said Jefferson PTA President Veronica Perales. "It was hard to swallow to see all that damage up there."
Parents continue to fix up Jefferson's playground after three years of fundraising.
"We had a big turnout for the community to come and build the playground," she continued. "Then, we see that."
Police say the vandalism took place from July 29-August 5. Investigators say there were no other related incidents in the community during that time frame.
It comes with classes starting in one week. Some of the damage won't be fixed by then.
Costly repairs will also take place at Clinton High. Even though holes appear small at the new pool building, it's necessary to replace entire panes of glass.
There's a broken window at another building and a smashed windshield on a district-owned truck.
"I can't tell you why vandalism happens in the first place," said Dr. Deb Olson, Clinton superintendent. "Why people think that it's okay to destroy other people's property."
It's something that could happen anywhere these days. Fortunately, insurance will cover the damage.
After a quiet summer, there's no motive for this recent round. Police will be stepping up patrols around schools.
"It's just sad that our school district has to go through this," Perales concluded.