A pair of bongos has been stolen from the John W. Decas Elementary playground — less than four months after the community effort to build the school's new equipment.

Plastic remains stuck under the bolts where the blue bongos once were, leading school officials to believe a strong person or group of people simply pulled on the equipment until the bongos ripped off.

The bongos were not left anywhere on the school grounds. Officials did not immediately know whether the damage would be covered by insurance.

The discovery was especially disappointing for Principal Christine Panarese and Jenn MacKerron, a secretary in the school's front office, because every penny for the purchase of the new playground was donated.

MacKerron and a volunteer Playground Committee spearheaded the fundraising effort. It took 15 months for the team to raise the $30,000 needed for the build.

In an effort to save money on construction, community volunteers built the entire structure in two days.

The school's previous playground was torn down in 2011 after its metal structures were deemed unsafe.