Students at two southern Anne Arundel County schools had the day off Monday after deer and dogs tore through the building, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage. On Monday morning, three deer jumped through glass doors at Southern Middle School, which also houses students from nearby Lothian Elementary, which is under construction.
The deer were followed by a pair of dogs, said Bob Mosier, a school system spokesman.
Anne Arundel County police responded to the school after the alarm went off at about 4 a.m., said Lt. T.J. Smith, a police spokesman.
Officers found one deer had been killed by the dogs and another deer was injured so severely that it had to be "put down humanely" by officers, Smith said. The third deer escaped.
The dogs, a German shepherd and a German shepherd-Labrador mix, were taken into custody by animal control officers, Smith said. The incident is under investigation.
The cost of replacing the doors and cleaning up the school was between $3,000 and $5,000, Mosier said.
"Suffice it to say, the cleanup that was necessary prevented us from opening either school today," Mosier said.
Both schools are expected to open on time Tuesday and MSA tests will be administered as planned, Mosier said.
