Officials hired a professional to clean Carbondale Area High School after they reported bedbugs at the school Wednesday.
One classroom was affected by bedbugs, Principal Joseph Farrell said in a letter to parents Wednesday. The classroom was immediately closed for the rest of the day.
Officials also contacted the parents of the children in the classroom.
Farrell said in the letter the school’s maintenance staff was deep cleaning the classroom. He cautioned parents about children wearing hats or jackets belonging to others. Farrell added bedbugs can be transmitted through close contact such as sharing jackets or sleeping in a bed infested with bedbugs.
Superintendent Holly Sayre stressed in a letter Thursday the district followed proper procedures and protocol in addressing the bedbugs and the state Department of Health said their response was “above and beyond what they would usually expect.”
She also emphasized there is not an infestation of bedbugs at the school as there were no exoskeletons, rusty-colored blood spots or sweet, musty odor present, all of which are signs of an infestation.
Although there is no infestation, Sayre wrote that officials scheduled a certified exterminator to inspect and treat the high school.
“We are taking all the necessary steps to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the school, and at no point should this situation disrupt our students’ learning experience,” she said, adding officials are closely monitoring the situation and don’t see it as a reason to excuse students from attending school.
Officials attached a fact sheet about bedbugs created by the state Department of Health in their online communications. The department states that bedbugs don’t transmit disease and are considered a pest and not a health risk.
The fact sheet includes information on risk factors, signs and symptoms of bedbug bites and infestations, and information on treatment and preventing them.