News Summary
Ione Elementary School in Amador County temporarily closed due to a flea infestation found in portable classrooms. The closure aims to ensure the safety of students and staff, and parents were notified shortly before the decision was made. The school district has initiated pest control measures to address the issue, while also providing meal services for families affected by the closure. Experts emphasize the importance of managing rodent populations to prevent such infestations in educational settings.
Ione – Ione Elementary School in Amador County closed on Wednesday due to a flea infestation discovered in portables at the back of the campus. The closure occurs as the district aims to ensure the safety and health of students and staff, following notifications to families about the situation and subsequent actions being taken.
On September 2, families received emails from both Ione Elementary and the Amador County Unified School District detailing the infestation and the steps being implemented. Notifications suggested that parents had only a short window of time before the emergency closure decision was made. Photographs obtained show that alerts communicated the need for immediate action to manage the flea issue.
Concerns about the infestation were initially raised when a classmate of one student reported seeing a flea. Ronnie Gould, a parent of two children at the school, mentioned that following this report, her son’s class was moved to the cafeteria as a precaution. While the sudden nature of the closure caught some off guard, Gould indicated that several parents were already aware of ongoing problems with fleas in the school.
The flea problem was first identified in a few classrooms late the week before the closure, with further inspections revealing a spread to multiple areas within the school. The district’s urgency in addressing the issue led to the decision to close the school temporarily and allow for extensive pest control measures. The aim is to treat all affected classrooms thoroughly before students and staff return on Thursday.
In light of the closure, the Amador County Unified School District is providing support to families affected by the situation. The district coordinated with food service to ensure that meals are available at Ione Junior High’s multipurpose room. A drive-by service was established to distribute meals between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. for those needing assistance.
Experts, such as Lynn Kimsey, a professor emeritus at UC Davis, explain that flea infestations can be traced back to problems with rodents or the presence of deceased animals. This highlights the necessity of controlling rodent populations as a preventive measure against flea issues in educational environments.
The article notes that the school district utilized one of its two scheduled emergency closure days for addressing the infestation. Following the closure and the pest control measures, the district is working to ensure a safe environment for students upon their return.
Despite the quick communication details provided to parents regarding the fleas, there still remains uncertainty about the timeline leading up to the reported sightings. Nevertheless, the prompt decision to close Ione Elementary School reflects the district’s commitment to prioritizing health and safety, as they manage the ongoing situation.
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Additional Resources
- KCRA: Flea Infestation at Ione Elementary School
- Wikipedia: Flea
- Fox40: Amador County School Closure
- Google Search: Flea Infestation News
- Fox13: Berclair Elementary Flea Infestation Details
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Pest
- Local Memphis: Flea Infestation at Berclair Elementary
- Google News: Berclair Elementary Flea Infestation
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