(KRON) — A brand new Oakland high school designed to help gang-impacted youth was burglarized just weeks before welcoming its first class of students.

The Freedom School is an independent no-cost school on MacArthur Boulevard in East Oakland run by the group Homies Empowerment.

But the school was burglarized by thieves who stole high-value electronics before the academic school year could even begin. Thieves swiped laptops, projectors, microphones and multiple other items. 

“Our students in Oakland, especially those who have experienced the most systemic harm, deserve a school like the Freedom School,” said Cal State East Bay Professor of Educational Leadership G.T. Reyes. “We are devastated by this loss, but we also remain resolute in our commitment to contribute to a better Oakland for our children.”

One of Freedom School’s goals is to help at-risk and gang-impacted teenagers find their purpose in life and get on a path toward graduating high school.

Founders of the school said they believe that “as students learn about, embody and channel the scholar, warrior, healer and hustler within, they will be able to graduate from high school, stand up for their rights, take care of themselves physically and emotionally and be resourceful as they chart the next course for their life, their life’s purpose.”

The recent theft brought to light the need for security cameras. The school’s founders set up a Go Fund Me Account to help recover from the burglary.

Thieves damaged the school’s entry doors and stole eight laptops, two projectors, four microphones, and two projectors.