Three schoolboys pleaded guilty yesterday to arson at Harrington Sound Primary School, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

And the total cost of the damage to the school has been pegged at $1.3 million dollars, it was disclosed to Magistrate Carlisle Greaves and a Juvenile Court panel.

Crown counsel Patrick Doherty told the court that the figure included the costs of the renovation and upgrade work, supplies, and relocation of 120 of the students to another school -- the former Devon Lane School.

Mr. Doherty said the original estimate for completion of the renovations was mid-October, but added: "They're still working out some problems, but students were essentially able to return to school on September 15.'' The 15-year-old boys -- whose identity, including their school, cannot be published under the Young Offender's Act of 1950 -- will return to court on November 15 when a social inquiry report from probation officers is expected to be ready.

Mr. Greaves told the boys, their parents, their lawyers, probation officers, and Police, who all packed in the tiny courtroom, he expected a further hearing to announce the panel's decision.

The boys -- two from Smith's Parish and one from Pembroke -- were represented by Saul Froomkin, Delroy Duncan, and Mark Pettingill.

Originally charged with school breaking, arson, and setting fire to paper knowing it would likely start a fire on February 19, the three boys yesterday pleaded guilty to setting fire to paper in the school knowing it was likely to catch fire.

`Boys became bored' The court heard the boys were at the school assembly for a scout meeting when they became bored and wandered about, eventually smoking cigarettes on the infants block roof.

After a short while, they broke into the main building through an insecure window. They eventually began burning cotton balls used as decoration on bulletin boards in a classroom, then burning the paper on the boards.

They walked about setting several fires to bulletin boards all of which were doused or burned themselves out. But at least two other fires burned for more than two and a half hours until the Fire Service was alerted at 11.30 p.m. by a passer-by who noticed smoke coming from the building.

Police major incident room officers and Fire Service investigators believe the physical education teacher's office was the scene of the major fire which eventually caused the school's roof to collapse.

There, one boy set fire to newspaper soaked in WD40 lubricant found in the office.

"The boys left the room when the smell of smoke and oil became unbearable,'' Mr. Doherty said. "They left believing that it would burn itself out.'' Eventually the boys left the main school to return to the scout meeting and were picked up by parents or family at its conclusion.

In the days that followed, Police received reports from parents of children at a private school that the three were boasting they had set the fire.

Mr. Doherty said investigators, armed with a search warrant, went to one boy's home where evidence, including shoes, was seized.

When the boy was questioned by officers at Hamilton Police Station, he "exercised his right to silence'', Mr. Doherty said.

Another boy also remained silent when questioned by Police with his parents present. But the third admitted to the offence and provided a detailed statement with his mother present.

None of the boys have previous records.

They were wearing their school uniforms yesterday.

They only spoke to say "true'' or "it's true'' when Mr. Greaves asked if the charge was true or not. The boys were released again on $500 bail with one surety.