Video: Graffiti a growing problem at Everett schools

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EVERETT, Wash. - Graffiti is a growing problem in many communities.  In the Everett School District, graffiti is devouring maintenance time and money like never before. 

Every one of the schools in the district have been vandalized.  And it's not just happening after a weekend, it's almost a daily occurrence.  The district policy is to document it, report it to police and remove it as soon as possible.  As a result, maintenance crews have been doing little else. 

John Nunnally and Andrew Solheim are weary of being greeted by the same old thing each day they get to work at Jackson High School. 

"We average four to five days a week," said Nunnally, Everett School District Maintenance crew member.  "Lately, that's what it's been just cleaning all our schools of all graffiti." 

The graffiti problem is nothing new, but the amount is.  Nunnally has been doing maintenance here for 32 years and this year stands out. 

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Everett School District maintenance crews are cleaning up graffiti on almost a daily basis.

"This has been the very worst we've had yet," said Nunnally.

Gary Jefferis, director of maintenance and operations, has already spent $50,000 of his maintenance budget tackling graffiti this year. 

"We have $50,000 of work that needs to get accomplished that we haven't accomplished," said Jefferis. 

Why the increase in graffiti?  No one's really sure.  They are sure they need more help from the public in order to turn the tide. 

"What we're hoping is that the public here or those who live anywhere around our schools will start taking notice," said Jefferis. 

That means calling police if you see something suspicious.  Everett Police has had some success catching people in the act when people call right away.  The school district takes pictures of all the graffiti and police do analysis to try and match the painting to a suspect.