School for special needs children attacked by arsonists for second time in a Victorian town.

A heartbreaking incident has taken place at a special education school located in the north-east of Melbourne. The school, called Heatherwood School, was the target of arsonists who caused significant damage to the property. The horticulture shed, which was a source of joy for both staff and students, was completely destroyed in a fire that occurred after 9:30pm yesterday. This has left the entire community in a state of shock and sadness.

According to reports, two individuals, a 19-year-old from Wodonga and a 20-year-old man from Mitcham, were arrested at the scene. However, they were later released without charge. The incident has caused great distress among the families of the students, as well as the students themselves. Parent Annie Basel expressed her concern, stating, "There's a lot of very upset families and angry children." Meanwhile, year nine student Tamika Sadler shared her thoughts, saying, "It's upsetting for me, other students, and teachers because I really enjoy horticulture and learning about gardening."

The school property was not the only target of the arsonists. The principal of Heatherwood School, Paul Hills, informed parents that several buildings, vehicles, and signs were also vandalized with graffiti. This has only added to the devastation caused by the fire. In light of these events, the school has extended its support to any student who may have been impacted. Parent Annie Basel stated, "Counselling will be offered like last time because our children have big feelings and we need support with that."

Sadly, this is not the first time Heatherwood School has been targeted. Just over a year ago, the school suffered a similar incident when classrooms, including the drama and art studio, were destroyed by a fire in August last year. The community is outraged and struggling to understand why anyone would cause such harm to a school that does so much for its students with additional needs. Parent Jennifer Sadler expressed her disbelief, saying, "Why would you do this to a community and to a school that does so much for these kids?"

In an effort to lessen the impact of this tragedy on the students, the school has sent photos of the damage to parents, allowing them to prepare their children for what they may see when they return to school on Monday. Despite the destruction caused by the fire, the education department has confirmed that classes will resume as normal. It is heartening to see the school and its staff come together to support their students during this difficult time.

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