Montebello : Scrubbing Out Graffiti at Bell Gardens High
About 400 volunteers scrubbed and painted walls at Bell Gardens High School Saturday as part of a project to clean up graffiti throughout the Montebello Unified School District.
Bell Gardens High was the first school scheduled for the cleanup program, called “My School Belongs to Me--Clean and Graffiti Free.” For four hours, an enthusiastic group of students, parents, employees and city volunteers used scrub brushes to wash away markings, then painted the walls, Principal Maggie Rosette said. Volunteers also picked up trash and pulled weeds.
Rosette said her school is planning to have a cleanup event every three months next year.
The event was organized by the Montebello Teachers Assn. Eventually, all 33 schools in the district will have a graffiti-cleanup day, officials said. The district spends about $150,000 to $200,000 a year painting over graffiti at schools, maintenance director John Campos said. “Unfortunately, it’s getting worse,” he said.
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