Local school for autistic children burglarized

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Local school for autistic children burglarized

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/lo ... zed/nm8hS/

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. —

A Sandy Springs school for autistic children is scrambling after burglars stole thousands of dollars in equipment with just days until classes start.

Police believe someone broke into the Cumberland Academy of Georgia early Monday morning.

“Projectors were taken,” said Headmaster and school co-founder Debbi Scarborough. “They took microphones, mixer boards.”

Scarborough showed Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik a ransacked room where the thieves stole video game consoles and televisions.

“Those things that are really not gonna be that important to somebody else, but here (they are) extremely meaningful,” she said.

Scarborough and her husband started the school eight years ago when they couldn’t find a place for their son, who has Asperger’s.

“I needed strong social and academic skills and that’s what he needed to be successful,” she said. “Last year, we had over 100 kids.”

Scarborough told Petchenik the school is nonprofit and relies on the generosity of the community, so this theft is hitting hard.

“We don’t get money from federal funding or anything like that. Everything we get, we appreciate so much,” she said, adding that they rely on donations through their web site (www.cumberlandacademy.org). “I just can’t imagine who would want to do something like this to a school, especially for these special-needs kids.”

Gina Poitier-Gouraige’s son graduated from the school and she now works there.

“It’s just a great school for kids with high-functioning autism and we just love our kids,” she said. “It’s really disheartening because school starts in a week, so it really put a damper on a lot of things around here.”