Employees at B.D. Lee Elementary School discovered Monday morning the school had been targeted for a break-in.

According to the Gaffney Police Department, someone apparently pried open a door to gain entry to the school between Oct. 9 and the morning of Oct. 12.

Police said that once inside, the burglar(s) entered the kindergarten hall and ransacked a kitchenette. The burglar( s) also went into a pre-school classroom and stole a Dell computer with a 17-inch monitor as well as an LCD projector that had been hung from the ceiling. Police said there was visible damage to the ceiling tiles and anchors that held the projector.

Police said the burglar( s) also took a cash drawer from the cafeteria that contained just a few dollars of loose change.

Gaffney Police Department’s crime scene analyst Sgt. Thomas Kennedy was called to the scene to collect evidence.

A broken pair of sunglasses and a plastic bag were among the items taken by police, according to a report.

There was no immediate cost estimate on the stolen computer equipment, which had Cherokee County School District markings.

Cherokee County School District Superintendent Dr. Bill James said the break-in and theft were discouraging.

“We like to think we have community schools and they’re serving folks’ needs,” he said.

B.D. Lee, for instance, is opened up to the community for basketball and recreation leagues and most schools are used by community groups for other purposes.

“Ultimately, a break-in to the school impacts the people of Cherokee County and South Carolina,” Dr. James said.

While the damage at B.D. Lee was relatively minor, Dr. James said, “Any damage is too much.”