North Bay school closed after vandalism, parents call for added security after multiple crimes

ROHNERT PARK, Calif. (KGO) -- John Reed Elementary School in Rohnert Park was closed Monday after vandals broke into multiple classrooms, leaving them unusable. The closure affected more than 400 transitional kindergarten through fifth-grade students.

School officials did not specify the extent of the damage, but confirmed that about half of the school's classrooms were impacted. Crews spent the day cleaning up with the goal of reopening the school by Tuesday.

"If it was just a couple of classrooms, we would have held school," said Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District Superintendent Maite Iturri. "But it was enough to warrant us closing today."

Parents expressed concern over the incident, noting that it is not the first time the school has been targeted. In January, parents received two notifications about a previous act of vandalism and the arrest of a man who made threats against the school.

"Just this past year, there have been quite a few instances, and it's concerning," said Jennifer Santiago, a mother of two students at John Reed Elementary. "The rock throwing, the threat-now this. It's unsettling."

Other parents echoed similar worries about campus security.

"When I moved out here, I noticed the schools aren't gated, and I'm very scared for my kids to start school here," said Savannah Terrones, another parent who does not have a child enrolled at John Reed yet. "That's one thing I don't like."

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Superintendent Iturri said the district is evaluating security measures.

"We're assessing what we need to do to make sure our campuses are safe," she said.The district is also determining whether anything was stolen during the break-in. However, officials said they are confident that cleanup efforts will allow students to return to school as scheduled.

For some students, the unexpected day off was disappointing.

"I miss my friends," said Mia, a young John Reed student.

The missed school day will be made up later in the year.

The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety is investigating the incident and if you have any more information, you can contact Detective Ashley Freyer at (707) 588-3513.