A PRIMARY school community is reeling after vandals busted their way into a canteen at Lake Macquarie and wreaked havoc.
Parents of Cooranbong Public School students have rallied during the holidays to raise funds, replace broken items and fix damage after chaotic scenes were discovered on Friday, the last day of term.
It's understood the intruders broke a door and lock, smashed a window, destroyed small appliances, tossed and opened food, overturned fridges, smeared products around and left graffiti 'tags' before fleeing.
"It was quite heartbreaking, to be honest," Cooranbong Public School parent Daena Lyon told the Newcastle Herald.
"We all live locally to the school, so to know people are getting around and doing this to the school in our area is not very pleasant ... they did quite a job."
She said the incident had sparked some fear but she had tried to reassure her child that school was a safe place.
Attention has now turned to making sure the canteen is up and running before school holidays end next week.
Ms Lyon said members of the small school's Parents and Citizens (P&C) Association had given up time during the break to help get the facility back on track.
The wider community has been supportive, with people rallying to donate to the P&C via PayID details posted to their official Facebook page and to a GoFundMe page set up by a parent.
Local businesses had also reached out with offers of assistance.
"The community has been amazing," Ms Lyon said.
She said the school's P&C had overcome a lot in the past few years and this was a setback.
Ms Lyon said the school was small and in a beautiful bush location, but called for more security measures to be put in place, like more fencing.
"We need to do something to try and prevent this happening again," she said.
Police were alerted and combed the scene.
Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers or Lake Macquarie officers.
A statement from Cooranbong Public School's P&C said security had become a concerning issue in the aftermath of the break-in.
"Over recent weeks, our beloved school has been targeted by a series of break-ins, casting a shadow over what should be a joyous time of the year," it said.
"The safety and security of our school are paramount, and we are committed to taking every necessary measure to protect our students, staff, and facilities.
"We urge each member of our community to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately.
"In these challenging times, we are immensely grateful for the unwavering support and solidarity of our community."
A Department of Education spokesperson confirmed it was aware Cooranbong Public School's canteen was broken into "overnight" between April 11 and 12, causing damage to the door and kitchen equipment.
"The school community has been advised that repairs began on Friday and will be completed over the holidays," they said.
Federal MP for the Hunter Dan Repacholi slammed the offenders in a public post on social media.
"The scum who did this were so arrogant that they even tagged their work," he said.
