Committee presses staff on mouse problems and delayed facilities repairs across district schools

A district report and committee discussion on pest control and facilities shortcomings dominated part of the March 20 meeting as members described ongoing mouse problems and delays in repairs such as bathroom stall doors and lockers.

Mr Underwood summarized the report prepared for Dr Hall, describing a multi-pronged approach: continuous inspections, clearer pest-control reporting, better food containment in classrooms, custodial attention to problem areas and DPW involvement to address building-envelope points of entry. "It really takes a collaborative effort to attack this," he said, and he welcomed a follow-up in a couple of months to compare conditions.

Committee members described indoor mouse droppings and visible cleanliness issues during community events. "You come into your classroom and there's mouse droppings on your desk," one member said. Members discussed accountability for night custodians, Food Services cleaning responsibilities, and the need to revisit building envelopes—door sweeps and masonry gaps—so pests cannot enter.

Related facilities concerns included stalled installations of kitchen equipment at the Career Academy (a $25,000 grant for culinary equipment) and long-delayed locker and bathroom repairs. Staff said stall doors will be installed imminently at one site and that they plan to seek roughly $800,000 in capital improvements for district bathrooms in the next capital request.

The committee asked staff to return with a comparison in a few months and to provide school-specific updates so the committee can assess progress.