Westbrook police are seeking help in identifying the vandals who spray-painted graffiti at Westbrook Middle School on Stroudwater Street late Friday or early Saturday.

Superintendent Marc Gousse discovered the damage Saturday morning, when he saw streaks of paint on the school’s sign near Stroudwater Street, on the sidewalk leading to the building and on exterior brick walls, windows and doors.

“It was horrifying,” Gousse said Tuesday, noting that the building is only five years old.

The graffiti is now gone, Gouss said, removed over several hours on Saturday by a crew of 10 custodians and a community volunteer who works as a professional house painter.

The middle school was cleaned up in time to host scheduled back-to-school opening activities on Monday for the district’s 439 staff members.

“The place was pristine and we celebrated the people who did that,” Gousse said.

Gousse said he has some leads and expects to learn who’s responsible.

The cleanup effort cost more than $2,000, according to Westbrook police, who posted a notice about the vandalism on their Facebook page on Tuesday.

“Somebody knows who did this and WPD is asking for the public’s help in identifying whoever is responsible,” the notice says.

To report information about the incident, call the police dispatch center at 854-0644 or leave an anonymous tip at 591-8117.