Letter Warns Parents of School Rat Problem
Posted on: Tuesday, 8 March 2005, 09:00 CST
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A letter sent to students' homes from a Brownsville elementary school advised parents to equip their children with disinfectants to combat the rat droppings and urine found on school desks.
District officials would not identify the employee, who warned parents of rat problems at El Jardin Elementary.
But while officials admitted the school has a recurring rat problem, they said students do not need to bring disinfectants to campus. Maintenance workers are handling the matter with mouse traps and glue boards, they said.
"I want to reassure all the parents that we have a very clean school even if we do have a problem with rats," said Principal Hector Hernandez, noting that the employee sent the letter without school permission. Maintenance workers "are going to use all resources available to clear this up while the kids are away."
The rat problem stems from the school's 80-year-old building that has "settled and developed cracks over time," said Rey Arteaga, the district's maintenance director. "We are sealing holes and putting in smaller grates in ventilation."
He said mouse traps and glue boards have been placed throughout the school, but regulations prohibit the use of bait while students are in class. Bait will be used while students are on spring break from March 14-18.
Another possible reason for the rat problem is the school's proximity to brushy or woody areas where animals live, said Patty Matamoros, who has two children who attend El Jardin.
"My kids have never complained about rats," said Matamoros, the school's Parent Teacher Organization president. "I think there are rats everywhere so it doesn't worry me that much."
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Information from: The Brownsville Herald, http://www.brownsvilleherald.com
Source: Associated Press/AP Online
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