Vandals set slide on fire at MH elementary school

Vandals set fire to the playground slide at Paradise Valley Elementary School in the back side of campus around 6 p.m. Thursday, according to Principal Swati Dagar.
Fortunately, a quick-acting community member, who was on campus for the Mt. Madonna YMCA after-school program, noticed the smoke and immediately called the fire department to extinguish it.
“They saw the smoke and called the fire department right away,” said Dagar, who was immediately notified by staff of the fire that melted a gaping hole through the yellow plastic slide. “Whoever it was took advantage of the dark.”
Paradise students were released at 2:05 p.m. and had the next day, Friday, off from school for a staff development day. They did not return to school until Tuesday because of the Veteran’s Day holiday.
Dagar said most staff members had already gone home before the fire and that only a few students in the YMCA after-school program, the school janitor and limited staff were on campus at the time of the fire. Morgan Hill police and CalFire were called to the scene. A police report was filed by school staff.
CalFire confirmed that one engine from the El Toro Station arrived at the school and extinguished a small fire on one of the slides. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Yellow tape marked off the entire playground area in the rear of the campus Tuesday. Students were not allowed to use any part of the play structure, which includes several sets of monkey bars, during Tuesday’s recesses.
“The students are being kept away from the play structure,” said Dagar, who asks anyone who has any information regarding Tuesday’s fire to contact Morgan Hill Police Department on their tip-line at 1-800-78CRIME. She said the police have agreed to up their patrols in the area as well.
“It’s our school. It’s our community, so we are reaching out to them for help,” said Dagar, who notified the district office and is awaiting word as to when the slide will be replaced so students can play again.
A chain-link fence and gate separates the elementary school from Paradise Valley Park and the adjoining neighborhood. However, parents can enter through the rear gate to pick their children up at the end of the school day. The gate is locked during school hours and is unlocked by a staff member five minutes prior to dismissal. The janitor locks the gate before leaving for the night.
MHPD did not immediately return calls for comment.