Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
High school graduation, a monumental time in a young adult’s life. The transition from childhood into the real world. A time of celebration for students, family, friends, faculty and staff. But after a senior prank that resulted in vandalism, 11 seniors at Wetumpka High School will not walk at Tuesday night’s graduation ceremonies.
When all was said and done, the cleanup from the damage done was quoted at $10,500. Elmore County Schools has elected not to seek restitution or press criminal charges so as not to affect the students’ futures.
“We’re trying to provide as many programs and opportunities for students to participate on campus and when you go through there and wreck your own school, it brings down morale and makes people not a part of that process feel uncomfortable about what is going on in their school. It’s a tradition. But if the apex of your high school career is trying to destroy your school, I’m sorry, that’s a sad day,” Elmore County School Superintendent Richard Dennis said.
The “prank” resulted in 11 students climbing through a teacher’s classroom window around 10 p.m., outside of school hours. The students overturned trash cans, squirted ketchup, mustard, flour, hay and pine straw throughout the halls, commons, bathrooms. The student threw hundreds of sheets of paper taken from teachers’ classrooms that was student work.
The students also moved desks into the hallway, overturned lunch tables, ripped down a banner which resulted in ceiling damage, sprayed implied profanity on teacher doors and left the ice machine open in an attempt to spread melted ice.
“The principal has made the recommendations based on board policy. He has not broken board policy and has actually pursued it, and proactively communicated it very well. It’s always a tough situation for the principal for them to remove a student from an activity, especially graduation. But it gives them the opportunity for growth on their part to overcome the obstacles of this difficult situation. The way they respond will determine the character of these individuals,” Dennis said.
From Superintendent of Elmore County Schools
Wetumpka High School
Vandalism at Wetumpka High School on May 14, 2024
Disciplined for CP Trespassing – Climbed into a teacher’s classroom through a window around 10 pm while school building was closed.
Squirted ketchup and mustard on the floors and walls down D, B, A Hall and Commons
Dumped bathroom trash cans into the D hall floor
Spread bags of flour down D, B, A Hall and Commons
Spread bails of straw/hay down D, B, A Hall and Commons as well as the classroom they came in
Threw hundreds of sheets of paper (many taken out of teachers’ classrooms and were student papers) down D, B, A Hall and Commons
Turned over desks in rooms, moved desks into halls and turned upside down in D, B, A Hall and Commons
Flipped over lunch tables
Attempted to tear down A Hall banner, damaging ceiling
Various streamers, silly string, etc. they used on the floor and walls throughout same areas
Student sprayed implied profanity (FUB) on classroom door
The teacher’s lounge: overturned furniture in the lounge and dragged some into the hallway, spread pine straw and ketchup, and left the ice machine open in an attempt to melt the ice onto the floor
Got a quote from Jani King to deep clean the hallways and restrooms for $10,500… Elected not to seek restitution or press criminal charges so as not to affect the students’ futures.
