CHARLOTTE -- Teachers at two Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools were shocked Thursday morning at the damage they saw at Butler High and Northeast Middle.

Sometime Wednesday night, police say vandals damaged more than a dozen classrooms at Butler and a new wing under construction at Northeast. The destructions left thousands of dollars in school items ruined. School leaders are calling it one of the biggest acts of school-related vandalism in recent years.

"When vandals damage our school, they damage our entire community,” Nancy Bartles of CMS. “This kind of senseless destruction of a community asset hurts us all.”

CMS leaders said at least one person broke into 14 classrooms, including nine trailers. They estimate it will cost Butler about $58,000 – funds which must be replaced somewhere else in the school’s budget.

Police and CMS leaders are urging people to come forward. "Crimes such as this don't have any direct combination as to a suspect, and that's why we're asking for student and public support in gaining information in this case,” said Capt. Carla Thompson of the Matthews Police Department.

Investigators biggest ally in the case may be the security cameras at Butler. There’s about 20-25 of them on campus.

Matthews police say the person or persons responsible for Wednesday’s vandalism at Butler and Northeast will likely face charges of breaking and entering, damage to property and larceny. Anyone with information can call police at 704-847-4069.