A reoccurring rat problem at Moody elementary school has prompted School District 43 to hire an exterminator and conduct a de-cluttering campaign to eliminate food and other attractants.
The issue was raised this week in The Province newspaper as parents and teachers complained about rat sightings, chewed papers and crayons, and other materials as well as concerns about student and staff safety.
But rats and other pests aren't an uncommon problem at schools. Wasps and other creatures have to be dealt with and, last year, the district spent more than $92,000 in pest control and wildlife management, according to its Statement of Financial Information.
Eliminating the rodent problem isn't easy at Moody because the district can't use poison because of concerns about the children's health; for now, rats are being trapped and disposed of but only on weekends and pro-D days.
"It is a public building, based on those standards we are not using that approach we are baiting traps and using traps when the school is not in use," said Reno Ciolfi, an SD43 assistant superintendent.
Rats first became a problem in 2009 and show up looking for food and shelter every now and then, Ciolfi said, with the latest incidents probably related to construction along the St. Johns corridor, which disrupts rats and sends them scurrying for cover.
In addition to working with staff, students and the daycare located in Moody elementary on getting rid of attractants, including sealing in plastic things such as paper and crayons the rats might chew on, custodians are stepping up cleaning to ensure there are no signs of rats when children come to school in the morning.
This summer, the district plans a major de-cluttering and renovation to seal passageways frequented by rats and make repairs to problem areas. Rat poison will also be used then to get rid of the vermin.
"The idea is to clean, de-clutter and upgrade the building in terms of making it look better," Ciolfi said.
A longer-term plan is in the works to rebuild the school once a new Moody middle school is built but that's still a few years away, he said.
