CHAPARRAL, NM -- Chaparral High School teachers and students discovered that their school was the victim of burglars Thursday. The auto shop classroom was hit the hardest, missing an estimated $20,000 worth of equipment.

"I love working with cars and it's just sad that somebody would be that, I don't even have the words to describe it, it's just its hard," student Jessica Weinberg said.

Weinberg is a student in the automotive class, where students learn how to be mechanics and eventually become certified.

"We were told this morning that last night there was a break-in at our school in the shop," Weinberg said.

The burglars broke into the auto shop and stole thousands in new tools that students like Weinberg use to learn. This just before the auto class was gearing up for a national competition in Albuquerque.

"Basically they stole all of our equipment that we were using to get ready for competition so now we're not going to competition this year," Weinberg said.

As a senior, Weinberg is especially upset.

"I'm kind of angry because this is the first year that we have our shop open, and we're seniors and this is our last year to compete so now that was taken from us and there's nothing we can do about it," Weinberg said.

KFOX has learned was told that students will switch to text books and computers, instead of the hands-on training that is so important.

Now all students like Weinberg can do is hope for justice.

"I mean people talk, they're going to find out who did this, and until then all we can do is wait," Weinberg said.

School officials told KFOX that a claim will be made to the district’s insurance company, but if and when the tools will be replaced is not yet known.