A school in the Northern Territory has been closed after staff accommodation was broken into.

The school in the remote community of Kintore 500 kms west of Alice Springs has underdone security upgrades and is expected to reopen next week, but fears remain for the safety of staff and their property.

NT Police have confirmed a “criminal damage” incident occurred on August 28 and the Department of Education said three staff were withdrawn after what was described as “attempted aggravated burglaries involving departmental staff in NT government housing”.

“The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students is our priority and the department will not tolerate inappropriate behaviour,”a department spokesperson said.

Amid rising tensions in the community there has been a spike in petrol sniffing among young people and local elders are calling for support to break the cycle.

“Last year, we just had seven to eight kids impacted by petrol sniffing. This time, we’ve had close to 30 kids petrol sniffing, and it’s been an ongoing issue,” Pintupi Homelands Health Service chief executive Leander Menezes told the ABC.

A dialysis service to the community has also been withdrawn, with patients sent to Alice Springs for treatment.