Educators press Somerville officials on rodent infestations as superintendent reports Brown School boiler failure

Public comment at the Jan. 13 Somerville School Committee meeting included a call for urgent city action on building maintenance after a union leader described widespread rodent problems in city‑owned facilities, including schools and firehouses.

“My name is D’Shawn Simmons. I’m a resident of Ward 7, a middle school history educator and president of the Somerville Educators Union,” Simmons told the committee. He said longstanding rodent infestations are “no laughing matter” and criticized city leadership for suggesting educators are responsible for pest problems. “We cannot ask educators to also become custodians,” Simmons said, and urged the committee to press the city to act.

Simmons described specific health and learning impacts, saying educators and students had experienced conditions such as mouse droppings in classrooms and students feeling too cold to learn. He said district staff have been left to propose stopgap fixes — for example, asking educators to use plastic containers — that place cost and labor burdens on teachers and warned the district’s responses so far have been “lazy at best and neglectful at worst.”

Superintendent Kumar reported separately that the Brown School suffered a heating failure last Monday when a sensor malfunction and a frozen pipe connected to the boiler required an early dismissal. Kumar said the Department of Public Works identified the problem and that the issue was resolved by about 3 p.m. on the same day. He said the city will provide a more detailed update on the boiler at the next joint school committee and city council facilities meeting.

Committee members did not vote on any facilities motion at the meeting, but several asked staff to pursue clearer city‑district communication. Simmons asked the committee to use any oversight authority it has to ensure the city acts as a partner in maintaining safe, warm and pest‑free school buildings.