Lompoc schools vandalized, leaving many students without chromebooks

LOMPOC, Calif. - Lompoc students are starting virtual classes Monday, but many are facing a setback after schools were vandalized over the weekend.

With virtual class, students are in need of laptops. The Lompoc Unified School District worked all summer to collect enough for its students, but many were stolen over the weekend.

Administrators say someone or a few people broke into two schools - Hapgood and Fillmore elementary schools.

They stole around 100 chromebooks, along with school supplies and food for the kids. They also vandalized some classrooms, including spray painting whiteboards.

Administrators are working on ordering more chromebooks, but there is no telling when they will arrive as most are back-ordered with high demand.

"We're pooling our various resources across the district and gathering any computer that has not being used so that we can get those into the hands of students," said Bree Valla, deputy superintendent of the Lompoc Unified School District. "We've already been contacted by two community groups who want to assist us in replacing the computers, so that's very kind and generous."

The district is hoping to have those pooled computers to affected students by Friday.

Administrators are working with Lompoc police to recover the stolen devices. Then they will then sanitize them and give them to students.

Staff worked to make repairs and re-secure the school buildings over the weekend, just in time for the first day of school today.

Other than the vandalism and theft, the district says attendance was excellent for this first day of school, and students are excited to be back, even if online.

If anyone has any information, contact the Lompoc Police Department or crime stoppers to leave an anonymous tip.