Mollison Elementary Still Infested With Rodents; Leaders Want Answers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- City inspectors gave a South Side elementary school a failing grade earlier this week on the clean-up efforts for rodent infestation.
Local School Council leaders tell CBS 2 they have a walk through with the health department scheduled at 8 a.m. Thursday morning. They are hoping it goes better than Monday's. CBS 2's Lauren Victory has more from Mollison Elementary School.
Monday's walk through found 285 mice droppings scattered throughout the school including the Pre-K classrooms, the library and the staff lounge. Inspectors label that as a critical health violation and it comes after Chicago Public School officials say they exterminated and performed a "deep cleaning" over Thanksgiving break.
RELATED: Rodents Invade Mollison Elementary School On South Side
"We're like open up some of the storage closets, let's look in places that people don't expect you to look - behind stuff, in corners - and it was still a lot of mice droppings," said Local School Council Chair Yolanda Redman.
A photo posted to the Chicago Teachers Union blog is said to show just one of the critters wreaking havoc on Mollison.
"It's been ridiculous," said Local School Council Vice Chair Danielle Lester. "It's been kids running from them, trampling over one another and things like that to get rid of them and everything."
The Chicago Teachers Union blames CPS's janitorial services, which were recently privatized.
A CTU statement released last night said: "Problems with the companies, from filthy classrooms to vermin infestations, began to surface immediately."
Parents sent CBS 2 a video of children on Monday apparently helping with the latest round of rodent clean-up. CPS reps told CBS 2 this is unacceptable and that they have spoken with the school administrators about the kids's involvement.
CPS said they installed 300 rodent traps last Wednesday and after Monday's failed inspection promised a pest control expert on site daily. Students have not been able to buy hot lunches since the beginning of the week.
