POLICE are analysing video surveillance footage from Keilor Downs Secondary College as the search continues for arsonists who destroyed a large section of the senior school, and caused almost $300,000 damage earlier this month.
Senior Sergeant Carolyn McDonald, from the Keilor Downs Criminal Investigations Unit, said the school had provided police with surveillance tapes, which had been sent to forensic investigators late last week.
A fire in the early hours of Saturday 17 February destroyed a single school block, which housed the Year 12 study area, senior school co-ordinator’s offices and other office space.
Police believe firebugs placed two wheelie bins in the doorway of each of the two main rooms and then set them on fire.
Windows were shattered in a number of nearby classrooms, while there was also some superficial damage to carpets and classroom exteriors.
Contractors spent last week removing the charred skeleton of the burnt out building, as the Education Department continued to investigate whether a replacement block was immediately available.
And as police investigations continued, senior Year 12 students were slowly coming to terms with the loss of their study area.
“There’s been a mixture of reactions,” school principal Peter Starford said last week. “The students are disappointed, they do have a pride in themselves and the school.”
The Year 12 students are now using the library for their study area, which Mr Starford said had flow-on effects for the rest of the school.
But the younger students and staff had rallied around the senior students, with everyone agreeing that the Year 12s needed to be given top priority in their final year, he said.
“Everyone accepts that, including students in other year levels and they’ve been terrific and the staff have been fantastic as well,” he said.
By Thursday, the slight damage to surrounding classrooms had been repaired and students and teachers had been allowed to return.
Last week police were still calling for public assistance.
“We’re still hoping for word of mouth to get around and for somebody to call us,” Sen SGt McDonald said.
