Parents’ fence Endeavour

Continual vandalism at a Port Kennedy school hit breaking point for parents after smoking implements and needles were found recently on school grounds.

Vandalism at Endeavour Primary Schools has cost the Department of Education more than $200,000 in repair bills over the past three-and-a-half years.

The school, which remains without a garrison fence, is listed as the “highest priority primary school” on the department’s perimeter security fencing program for 2013-14.

Parent and Citizen Association president Tanya Hartnett said the school was vandalised as recently as last weekend.

“I cannot believe nothing has been done yet, it is crazy,” she said.

“By the time we get fences we are going to spend probably twice as much as what a fence would cost, just in repairs — it is just a waste of money and it needs to stop.”

P and C vice president Tina Towers said the school had been campaigning for a perimeter fence for nearly five years.

Mrs Towers said incidents were worsening and she believed vandals were responsible for smoking implements and needles discovered at the school site last month.

“These things are hazardous to our children that are here at the school,” she said.

Warnbro MLA Paul Papalia said it was incredible the school had been overlooked for so long.

“It is a completely false economy, it’s silly and it doesn’t make any sense at all not to fund Endeavour Primary, so that you can spend another $50,000 next year on repairing wilful damage,” he said. “To my knowledge every other State primary school in Port Kennedy and Warnbro has a fence — it seems for some bizarre reason Endeavour has been overlooked and continued to be overlooked over time.”

Parents from Endeavour raised concerns with the Telegraph in December after more than a dozen incidents were reported in 10 weeks.

Department infrastructure executive director John Fischer said although damage at the school had declined in 2009-10, it had increased since that time. Mr Fischer said members of the community could do “their part” by keeping an eye on the school on weekends and holidays.

“A simple phone call to report suspicious behaviour on school sites can make a big difference in helping to reduce vandalism,” he said.

Ms Hartnett said the committee wanted to know when the school would get a fence.

“It is escalating and it is scary to think what is going to happen next,” she said.