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Tenney Grammar School inspected after rodent sightings; city inspectors, custodial teams and administrators mobilize
Summary
City health inspectors visited Tenney Grammar School after staff and city officials reported rodent activity. The district said custodial crews performed deep cleaning, inspectors will return for follow‑up early in the morning and the city and district will pursue additional remediation and potential changes to pest‑control protocols.
City health inspectors visited Tenney Grammar School on the morning of June 26 after the district and city received reports of rodent activity in occupied classrooms and in cafeteria areas. The mayor and the superintendent alerted committee members in the meeting’s closing section and said custodial teams and inspectors had been on site and would return for follow‑up inspections.
What happened: the mayor opened the item for full disclosure: "This morning, city health inspectors visited the Tenney School. I received word from those inspectors about major facilities failures at the school," he said, and he told the committee inspectors would return the next morning at 6 a.m. The superintendent confirmed custodial staff had deep‑cleaned the facility again and that additional custodial crews were being assigned for weekend and early‑morning work.
Why it matters: Tenney housed summer programs, and the district and city said they were taking immediate steps to protect students and staff who use the building this summer. The superintendent said the kitchen had passed inspection but that fecal evidence and other signs were found in some classroom areas during the inspection; those rooms were prioritized for cleaning.
Actions taken and next steps
- The city’s director of health, human services and inspections was coordinating regulatory steps and returning to the building with inspectors.
- The district put additional custodians on site and scheduled further cleaning, disinfection and targeted repairs; inspectors planned to be back the following morning and again on Monday.
- Committee members asked for a full set of the health‑inspector reports and for an explanation of steps taken and the chain of command that should produce faster reporting when sanitation or infestation issues arise. The superintendent said she had notified parents of the situation and the district was working with the city to make sure summer programs go forward safely.
Committee reaction and accountability questions
Several committee members said the incident was unacceptable and pressed for accountability, clearer reporting and improved preventive steps such as door sweeps, perimeter trapping and removal of attractants. Member DeZaglio said the situation was “mortifying” and urged immediate corrective measures; Member Maxwell called for exploration of alternative contracting or staffing arrangements if in‑house services are not keeping facilities safe.
What the district said: the superintendent said the district had performed a deep clean about three and a half months earlier, at a reported cost of roughly $50,000, and that custodians and inspectors were addressing the current findings. She asked the community to await the full inspector report as the district documented next steps.
Ending: inspectors and custodial crews planned follow‑up early‑morning visits; the superintendent and the mayor said the city and district would coordinate remediation steps and consider additional contracting or procedural changes to reduce future risk.
