Broken glass. Spitting tobacco. Graffiti.

These things and more have been found at least once a week around the playground area at Sumner Elementary, located in northwest Austin, said Principal Kim Howard.

Howard has noticed the vandalism since she came to Austin in August and has taken steps to stop it.

Others say it has been going since the beginning of the summer.

"It's still a problem," Howard said Thursday. "Someone had their bike stolen yesterday."

Howard has asked the building and grounds department to look into fencing that can be put around the schoolyard, she said. More lighting has been suggested and Howard has also considered surveillance cameras to catch the vandals.

Two weeks ago she asked the northwest neighborhood watch group for help at its meeting

The watch group has volunteered to put up signs warning potential vandals that the school is being monitored by a neighborhood watch group, Howard said.

Howard said most of the vandalism seems to take place over the weekend. School employees try to clean up the mess, but some paint cannot be removed.

Earlier this year, someone started an outdoor garbage can on fire, destroying the entire container. That can was attached to the building and could have caused more serious damage, Howard said.

Urine has been found in some corners, playground equipment has been burned and someone has spit tobacco on the windows of kindergarten classrooms, Howard said.

Parents have been notified of the problem in the school's newsletter, in which the school also asked parents to be a part of the neighborhood watch group, Howard said.

The buildings and grounds director has been getting quotes on fences and has been talking to the finance director about available funds, she said.

"We have to be careful. It's spendy, but at the same we have to protect our students," Howard said.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at :mailto:cari.quam@austindailyherald.com