Dunedin has had a spate of thefts of copper, including 50m of the coveted metal from a school this week.
Halfway Bush School principal Stephanie Madden said every copper downpipe had been removed from the school, and was a huge inconvenience before Christmas.
"We are really disappointed and the timing is very difficult over the Christmas-New Year period; and it is a direct cost out of kids' education, really."
The bill was expected to run into the thousands and was likely to be covered by the Ministry of Education.
"Some of the pipes are quite substantial and it would have been some operation."
Mrs Madden said the thieves had done a lot of damage by hacksawing and pulling down the pipes, "so even if we were to get them back, it would be a major undertaking to get things back to the way they were".
The school had been targeted before for its copper, and it was likely the removed pipes would be replaced by something less attractive to thieves.
Asked if the Ministry of Education had a programme to replace present copper stock with less enticing material for thieves, a spokesman said copper had not been used as a building material for many years.
He confirmed the ministry did not collate reported thefts at schools and said it was important school property was "as secure as possible".
"Individual schools are responsible for safeguarding property and [ensuring] that effective deterrents are in place to prevent thefts."
The theft of all copper from Halfway Bush School was a reminder for the community to be the "eyes and ears" for schools, as they would be unoccupied over the Christmas break, Senior Sergeant Mel Aitken, of Dunedin police, said.
It was not the first time copper had been stolen from a school.
The metal attracted prices of about $7 a kilogram from merchants.
Anyone observing suspicious behaviour at a school was urged to report it immediately to police rather than wait to report it a day later.
Merchants of scrap metal were also reminded of their obligation to identify those selling, because any dealer caught buying stolen scrap could be charged with receiving stolen goods, Snr Sgt Aitken said.
Last month, a 22-year-old Dunedin man was jailed for stealing $2000 of copper spouting from a Mosgiel school in May.
In February, a Dunedin pair were arrested at Arthur St school.
In October 2009, 30m of copper was taken from College St School.
