Residents rally after Far North schools burgled

Kaeo Primary School Principal Paul Barker said he's gutted at the theft, which included money from a school fundraiser.

Residents have rallied to support two low decile Far North schools burgled over the weekend.

A trailer load of top soil was taken from the children's garden beds at Ahipara School while around $2000 cash was stolen from Kaeo Primary School during a break-in overnight on Friday.  

Kaeo Primary School Principal Paul Barker said he is "gutted" about the incident, especially as some of the money was raised during a school market day for a Year 6 graduation dinner and dance evening at the local rugby club.

"I feel gutted by it," Barker said.

"I'm disappointed that the kids fundraising money in particular appears to have been targeted."

Barker said a teacher discovered the burglary on Saturday. The office glass window was smashed and the door had been jimmied open.

There were three lots of money in the safe, he said, including $500 in small change from the market day, $600 that just been reconciled by the PTA and other school money totalling around $2000.

"The safe was in a cabinet; they opened the cabinet and ripped out the safe with half the cabinet attached to it.

"Someone had also tried to disable the alarm.

"But the show will go on, it doesn't mean there's no graduation."

Residents have taken to social media to offer support and donations for the small school, north of Kerikeri.

Ahipara School also took to social media to report a theft at their property.

The post said the theft was discovered when tamariki were watering the garden beds.

"We are all very disappointed to think that there are people in our community who would take the resources our tamariki need for their learning projects, only to benefit themselves," it read.

Kerikeri Senior Sergeant Peter Robinson said the Ahipara theft had not yet been reported to police.

Police attended the Kaeo school incident on June 16, he said.

"It would appear there was some level of targeting the school on that basis [of it being a fundraiser] - money that was taken from the school to enhance school activities.

"The targeting of any school is reducing educational opportunities for students and schools don't have an endless amount of money. Replacements need to be found by another part of their school budget."

Robinson urged anyone with information to contact Kerikeri police station 09 407 9211 or Crimestoppers anonymously 0800 555 111.