JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — (The video above is from a previous report)
Three Duval County elementary schools have been contacted by the district after a rodent infestation impacted operations, leading to the closure of one of the school cafeterias, according to the district.
Duval County Schools says that Cedar Hills Elementary, Neptune Beach Elementary School and Love Grove Elementary School were impacted by infestations.
On Wednesday, families at Cedar Hills were sent an email from the school's principal, Marva McKinney, informing them of the recent infestation and measure being taken to combat the issue.
One of them included shutting down the school's cafeteria, which allowed for pest control to do an extensive sweep of the area.
McKinney informed parents that school food will be prepared offsite and students would be served meals in alternate locations.
She said additional steps include working with pest control to identify and close off any access points that may be allowing rodents to enter the school, sanitizing and cleaning areas where rodents have been spotted and trimming tree branches back from the roof of the building.
*You can read the full letter sent to parents at Cedar Hills below.
First Coast News has reached out to the district for more information about the impact of the rodent infestation at Neptune Beach Elementary School and Love Grove Elementary School and what is being done about it.
On March 3, City Councilman Rory Diamond made a twitter post calling out Duval Schools for a rat infestation at Neptune Beach Elementary.
"Parents keep complaining and rats keep running around. What are you doing with the billions we sent you to fix this?” he asked.
In the post, you can see a picture of a hole in the ceiling of the room.
Diamond received multiple comments under the post.
One person commented and said they taught in that classroom from 2009 until 2013 and the hole was there then. The commenter also said squirrels used to come in, eat their supplies and leave droppings.
Another person commented and said their wife spent many years at the school. They said that hole existed 10 years ago.
Duval County Public Schools previously sent First Coast News a statement saying school reports of rodents are the "highest priority of our pest control efforts."
DCPS said response typically includes:
- Identifying and eliminating sources of food
- Closing windows and doorways to reduce access
- Sealing holes or any potential access in roofs and walls
- Deploying traps without compromising student safety
DCPS also said in their previous statement, “Our team was aware of the issue at this school and is responding. In addition to the rapid response team for these types of issues, each school receives monthly pest control services.”
Pest control falls under the district's operations budget.
Email sent to Cedar Hills families:
"Hello Cedar Hills Elementary School families.
In the spirit of open and transparent communication, I want to keep you informed of anything that impacts your student’s educational experience.
I am calling to share that rodents have been spotted on our campus and inside our school building. Because of this, we are taking several measures using guidance from our pest control contractor and district maintenance staff.
First, we have closed down our cafeteria, which is the main location where the rodents have been sited. Closing down the cafeteria enables the pest control staff to have an aggressive treatment plan without impacting students and staff. The plan includes trapping and safely removing rodents.
While the cafeteria is closed, food will be prepared offsite and brought to our school and students will be served meals in alternate locations.
Additional steps include working with pest control to identify and close off any access points that may be allowing rodents to enter the school, sanitizing and cleaning areas where rodents have been spotted, clearing away all storage and clutter, and trimming tree branches back from the roof of the building.
We will continue to keep you posted and let you know when our cafeteria has reopened. If you have any questions or concerns about this incident or anything related to your student’s educational experience at Cedar Hill Elementary, please do not hesitate to contact me through the school.
Sincerely, Marva McKinney, Principal"