CCTV footage helped a Rotorua primary school identify vandals who broke in and destroyed new-entrance classrooms.
Working alongside police, the school had hoped to find justice quickly and move on from the devastating incident.
Principal Brent Griffin said the alleged offenders were not associated with the school, and were handed over to police.
"Still devastating but a little win," he said.
Police Inspector Ewan Dunsmuir confirmed authorities were alerted to the incident around 4.50pm on Sunday, and conducted a forensic examination on Monday morning.
However it remained far from over for the school community. Extensive repairs were estimated to cost more than $75,000.
Griffin said a huge effort had been made by teachers and cleaners.
Eight rooms were affected, with resources left broken and scattered, and walls of the building covered in paint and graffiti.
"The damage is immense. The carpets and vinyls will all need replacing and so many kids’ resources have had to be binned," he said.
"One large cloak bay will require a complete renovation. Teachers have lost valuable resources, and we have lost brand new tablets from the junior school.
"Our commercial cleaners have spent 4 hours trying to clean the carpet in one class just to make them suitable for kids tomorrow, they have 5 to go so it will be a late night for them."
Four of the classes belonged to 5-year-old students, whose work was destroyed in the incident.
Griffin called the offenders the "lowest form of life", expressing his disbelief in a social media statement.
"Paint thrown all over the rooms, all over the carpet , walls, children’s desks, furnishings, absolute devastation," he said.
"Who could do that to our beautiful tamariki. It’s hard to understand."
In the wake of the burglary, the community came together to help the staff, delivering coffee and food and calling to offer their support.
Griffin described the response as "heart-warming", and left the school feeling thankful.
"As tough as this has been the silver lining is the kindness the community and wider community has shown us. I know how much you all love our kura and I can assure you we will be back to business better and stronger than ever before," he said.
The school will reopen on Tuesday, with the school bus and chariot operating as usual.
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