Porter Creek Secondary School has been hit hard this summer literally, says principal Kerry Huff.

The 23-year-old school has been pelted on numerous occasions with a barrage of rocks and stones, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

'We got hit really hard this year,' Huff said in a recent interview. 'It's some really, really severe window smashage. We have a rock that's gone through two panes of glass and is embedded in a wall.'

With about 25 windows shattered since June, at $2,000 apiece, that could put the damage in the range of $50,000, Huff estimates.

While the first windows were broken during the last week of June, instances of vandalism rose significantly in mid-August. Now, says Huff, windows are broken every second or third night.

The vandalism is likely associated with bush parties, he says.

'I think it goes hand in hand because we also find beer cans and whiskey bottles . . . around our property. So I think it's a lot of partying and a lot of stupidity.'

Broken windows are nothing new for the school off Hickory Street, although serious vandalism comes and goes in waves, according to Huff.

In a recent event, school patrols noticed a number of broken windows late at night and notified Whitehorse RCMP.

Police arrived on the scene at around 3:15 a.m. and found a vehicle with liquor, and a few people, said RCMP Sgt. John Sutherland.

The group told police they had nothing to do with the broken windows and the matter is no longer under investigation.

'(Vandalism) is not uncommon,' Sutherland said.

Darren Hays, principal of F.H. Collins Secondary School, says his school has been fortunate this summer, with no reports of vandalism thus far.

While he says he can only speculate on why incidents of vandalism have dropped, there are a number of different factors he says played a role.

'I think it's probably a combination of many things,' Hays said in an interview this morning. 'Some of it is just heightened awareness and the community being on top of things and being present.'

He added that facilities like the soccer fields at F.H. Collins are also used throughout the summer months.

'Having people around is also a good deterrent,' he said.

There is a perceived decrease in vandalism this summer, according to the Department of Education.

While no numbers were available from the government regarding the amount of vandalism this summer, it credits the perceived decrease largely to security patrols.

The roving security force was created about 15 months ago, primarily to stave off vandalism, the department says.

The patrollers pass by each school two to three times per evening, according to Huff.

Porter Creek and F.H. Collins both have security cameras as well.

While cameras were very effective initially, there are blind spots and areas they can't cover, says Huff.

He also noted the school is surrounded by forest, which makes an easy escape route for those launching stones into the school's windows.

'It's very upsetting,' he says. 'That's a lot of money going into repairing damage useless, stupid, damage that could be going into something else.'

Vandalism occurs after school hours, when the building is vacant.

While there is no concern over student safety, Huff says, students are proud of their school and don't enjoy seeing the property damaged.

'(Students) don't like to see it vandalized, period,' he says. 'I think most kids would look at it and see the wastefulness of it all.'

Window breakage usually spills into the first few weeks of fall, until cold weather forces bush partyers inside, Huff says.

While damage may not have been suffered equally by schools throughout the city, Huff says there is a common feeling of frustration amongst students and teachers.

'Most students in all the schools would feel the same way we do. What a waste of time and what a useless activity that is.'

The windows at Porter Creek will be replaced and the shards cleaned up before Thursday, when students return to school, says Huff.

Most local elementary schools opened on Monday.