About 280 Lyle students remained out of classes for a second day today as officials and cleanup crews mopped up damage from a binge of vandalism at the school Monday night or early Tuesday morning.

No immediate estimates were available, but losses likely will be several thousand dollars, authorities said. Insurance agents were to visit the school today to assess damages, Superintendent of Schools Paul Trelstad said this morning.

Two Lyle businesses also were burglarized and ransacked by vandals the same night, Mower County Chief Deputy Sheriff Garry Ellingson said. They took more than 1,000 lottery tickets from Greg's Grocery. They also stole money and cigarettes from W and K Standard service station.

The break-in at the school was the latest in a series at area schools. One bomb threat was made during school hours at a Grand Meadow school recently, and two Austin schools also were vandalized late in September, using similar equipment.

``There could be some correlation,'' Ellingson said.

Trelstad said a custodian who arrived just before 6 a.m. Tuesday discovered the damage. Fire extinguishing powder and fluid had been sprayed over hallways, and 10 to 12 extinguishers were scattered inside the building.

Windows were broken. Door locks were jimmied open. In some cases, the burglars used crowbars to enter rooms. Paper work was thrown about.

They ransacked administration offices and forced open desks, apparently looking for money, Ellingson said. They also damaged coin-operated pop machines.

In the cafeteria, some food was exposed and other damage was done. Trelstad said he did not know whether anything was stolen.

Ellingson this morning said the sheriff's department was investigating and had no immediate suspects. But suspicions focused on youths not connected to the school, or older burglars. ``Our students, in my opinion, are not suspect at this point,'' Trelstad said.

The sheriff's department closed the school Tuesday to collect evidence. Trelstad said he shut the school today to allow crews to complete the cleanup.

There had been a large number of people in the school Monday night for homecoming activities.

Trelstad said police are still investigating how the burglars entered.

The superintendent said students will return to classes Thursday. The community school has classes ranging from kindergarten through high school.

The two businesses had similar incidents. At Greg's Grocery, the vandals broke in through a window and took the lottery tickets along with some cash. Before fleeing, they left several gallons of milk and various types of foods on the floor, Ellingson said.

At the service station, they pried open a door with a crowbar, ransacked the store and stole money and cigarettes, he said.