Committee told German cockroaches at Hillside were likely introduced via deliveries; DPW, project staff say construction not to blame

At the Oct. 14 Committee on Joint School Buildings meeting, the city’s Department of Public Works and project representatives addressed parental and community concerns about cockroaches observed at Hillside.

Mark (Left Field) said the project team met with the district’s on-site pest-control provider and DPW staff and that the species identified were German cockroaches. "It does not have anything to do with the construction, and there has been an action plan implemented," Mark said. Josh Gagne of the DPW explained that German cockroaches typically do not live outdoors in the Northeast and are often introduced by deliveries and boxes. "They enjoy paper or glue on paper," Gagne said, describing how cockroaches can arrive inside packed materials.

Why it matters: parents and staff raised the issue as students returned to school and questioned whether construction activity was to blame. Committee members said they wanted clear answers and documentation from vendors.

What officials said and actions taken Josh Gagne told the committee the district has an active treatment program and that pest control is managed in coordination with the DPW, the district vendor and the construction managers. He said treatments follow vendor guidance and that an eradication or reduction effort typically follows a multi-week cycle: "the thing with roaches is it's a two-week treatment cycle," he said.

The district and DPW asked construction vendors to provide their pest-control logs. Left Field said they had obtained logs from Consigli’s vendor and requested similar logs this morning from Harvey’s pest-control vendor for Parkside and Southside so the city and district can compare activity and treatments across sites.

No formal policy change or vote resulted from the discussion. Committee members agreed to raise operational questions in new business and directed staff to share vendor logs and treatment schedules with the committee and school administration as they are provided.

Context and guidance Officials told the committee that German cockroaches are commonly associated with warm, moist environments and access to food or packaging; they do not typically migrate from outdoor soil into buildings in this region. Presenters emphasized that treatment is ongoing and that if activity increases the district will follow vendor recommendations to ramp up visits and management.