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Paraeducators urge district action after recurring bed‑bug incidents at district elementary school
Summary
At the North St. Paul–Maplewood–Oakdale school board meeting paraeducators and staff described multiple years of bed‑bug sightings, specific specimen counts, and inconsistent district responses, and asked the district for formal protocols, training and clearer communication; board staff said they would follow up.
The North St. Paul–Maplewood–Oakdale School Board heard extended public comment about recurring bed‑bug incidents at an elementary school, with paraeducators urging formal district action.
Jenny Cook, who identified herself as “a para at Jiki,” told the board she and a colleague discovered multiple live bed bugs after backup generators failed on Feb. 18; she said that on one morning she pulled “4 live red bugs” from a student and that later in the week staff found as many as 13 live bed bugs on a single morning. “The plan is that there is no plan,” Cook said, adding that the district’s immediate response was a single letter and not additional cleaning over a weekend.
Other staff amplified Cook’s account. One paraeducator who spoke to the board said the problem spans three consecutive school years, reporting “nearly 30 bed bugs” in the first year, 27 in the second, and “over 68” in the current year; that speaker said district responses have been inconsistent—ranging from heat‑treating a classroom in one year to sending a late letter in another—and that staff have been discouraged from notifying families because of privacy concerns. Eric, who identified himself by first name, told the board: “We are not trained in this protocol. We have received no formal guidance, no materials, and no visual references,” and said staff have been using personal supplies and peer training to identify and contain specimens.
Bob Adel, who introduced himself as a SPED para at Eagle Point, framed the issue as a public health, workplace safety and community concern and presented a set of specific requests: district‑wide bed‑bug response protocols, formal training for affected staff, adequate supplies and support, timely and transparent communication with families, proactive action before spread, and bargaining‑table discussions with staff representatives about ongoing safety needs.
The acting chair closed public comment and told attendees the board does not respond during public comment; he said “Christie or the cabinet” would follow up with the speakers. No formal district policy change or vote on protocols was recorded during the meeting.
Why it matters: The speakers described direct health‑and‑safety risks for students and staff and urged the district to adopt consistent procedures so classrooms and families are informed and protected. The board’s pledged follow‑up — rather than immediate action — leaves the timing and scope of any district response unclear.
