Methuen health inspector reports progress on rodent problems but warns repairs and staffing gaps remain

Methuen health inspector Darren told the School Committee on Sept. 8 that the city and school system are conducting monthly follow-up assessments of all school buildings as part of a new, systemwide effort to address chronic pest and building‑maintenance problems.

Darren said the city is “doing follow‑up assessments on all of the schools, monthly,” and that recent cleanup and contract changes have reduced reports of rodent sightings at several sites.

The report matters because school leaders told the committee in recent months that recurring rodent sightings and building deterioration had become a barrier to safe, sanitary classrooms and were harming staff morale. Darren said the problems accumulated over decades and will not be fixed overnight.

Darren described multiple contributing factors: an outdated and narrowly scoped pest‑control contract, gaps in inspection and reporting, deferred maintenance and a reduced custodial force. He said some pest‑control recommendations were five to eight years overdue and that logbooks previously kept at schools were incomplete, limiting the district’s ability to track sightings and responses.

Committee members heard that the city has begun a structured response: improved reporting and transparency, more frequent inspections, additional pest boxes and exclusion work (door sweeps, caulking and repairs), and engagement with the Department of Public Works for capital items. Darren said work at the Tenney and Timoney schools, where the problems had been most visible, shows measurable improvement: “The difference between a month and a half ago and today is shocking. It’s cleaner than I’ve ever seen it.”

Darren and school officials cautioned that some fixes will require capital spending — roof and duct work, replacement of window units and improved building envelopes — and that the district’s custodial staffing is well below recommended levels. Using national maintenance guidelines, Darren estimated the current custodial headcount should be roughly 80 workers rather than the roughly 51 now on staff to meet sanitation expectations for the district’s square footage and program needs.

The inspector said the administration is assembling a list of capital projects for DPW attention and developing a comprehensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program tailored to schools. He also said the city will continue to use third‑party air quality tests when needed and that the state has performed recent air quality assessments.

Committee members pressed procedural questions about reporting and confidentiality and asked for ongoing monthly updates; the administration and inspector said they plan monthly inspections for at least the next year and will provide documentation of pest reports and remediation.

Darren closed by asking for continued cooperation across city, school and custodial staff to “rebuild a system that’s going to work,” and he thanked custodians and DPW for recent cleanup work. He said the city will continue to track progress and return to the committee with updates.

Ending: School leaders and the city described a mix of short‑term operational fixes and longer‑term capital needs. The committee agreed to receive regular monthly updates while the district and city implement IPM, make exclusion repairs and evaluate custodial staffing.