Great Northwest Community Improvement Association, Inc.

Northside Independent School District, News Release: Tagging

Oct 01, 2003

Oct 1, 2003
District asks community to help ?“tag?” taggers

?“These people are hurting our schools, and we need the community to step up and help us stop this behavior,?” says Sylvia Wade, principal of Pat Neff Middle School in Northside ISD. When taggers (graffiti vandals) hit Neff Middle School this past year, Wade took matters into her own hands and went door to door to encourage the community to get involved. ?“This is my community?’s house that was violated,?” she said. ?“I ask the community to watch and help us take care of their house.?”
It worked. The taggers were caught, apologized to Wade, and are now serving their time through community service and restitution.
According to Bernie Morin, NISD Director of Maintenance Operations, tagging and vandalism are big budget items for the school district. Last year, money spent to respond to vandalism and graffiti amounted to a whopping $338,000. There were over 3,000 incidents reported last year. NISD dedicates a full service crew that responds, day or night, to graffiti reports. ?“We would rather spend the taxpayers?’ money to enhance the schools and provide high quality instruction,?” Morin said. ?“Instead, we have to spend it to repair the nasty graffiti that defaces our neighborhood schools.?”
Northside citizens and especially school neighbors are encouraged to be the eyes and ears of the schools, and anonymously report any suspicious activities around schools to the District?’s Safeline ?– 706-SAFE (7233).

Vandalism totals in NISD on the rise
1998-1999 $344,107.59
1999-2000 $352,100.77
2000-2001 $239,704.01
2001-2002 $265,696.75
2002-2003 $337,569.60