JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A private STEM school in Jacksonville that offers free tuition for students is facing a major setback.
The principal of the Minds of the Future Academy said a break-in over the weekend left its new building stripped of essential technology.
“It wasn’t a violation just to one person; it was a violation to a community of people,” Principal Dr. Cynthia Smith said.
Dr. Smith said nearly everything inside was gone, from items like laptops and tablets to monitors and smart TVs.
“I noticed immediately that all of our smart TVs were gone,” Dr. Smith said.
School leaders are still inventorying the damage, but they believe that more than $200,000 worth of equipment was taken.
“It’s disheartening,” teacher Tiaira Howard said. “I can’t believe that somebody would do something like that.”
The school has been operating out of the Boys and Girls Club on West 25th Street.
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They were preparing to move into this new building on Carmichael Avenue, where the break-in happened.
“We’ve been looking forward to this happening for two years,” Dr. Smith said.
The principal said staff started moving items inside at the start of the month, even though the full move wasn’t scheduled until January.
“This is a major setback,” Dr. Smith said.
Despite the setback, school leaders said they are determined to recover and continue serving their students.
“We are going to have to readjust,” Dr. Smith said.
“I just hope that whoever did this that you just have a heart and give it back,” Parent Sherika said. “You’re hurting the children at the end of the day.”
A report has been filed with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, which Action News Jax is working to get.
At the time of the break-in, security cameras had not yet been installed. Dr. Smith said they were scheduled to be put in this week.
She is encouraging anyone who knows any information about this to come forward.
If you would like to help the school during this time, you can click this link to make a donation.
Protect the Future Fund - minds of the future foundation
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