Bedbugs found at Hadley Junior High in Glen Ellyn
A light infestation of bedbugs has been discovered in classrooms at Hadley Junior High, according to an email from Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 Superintendent Paul Gordon on the district website.
A single insect was found in a classroom Oct. 31, according to a separate email from Hadley Principal Steve Diveley. The room was inspected and cleaned, and carpet and other soft items were thrown away. A pest control company was brought in the morning of Nov. 1 and initially found no other bedbugs.
But another company that specializes in bedbugs was brought in on Nov. 2, and upon examination found “a light case of bedbugs,” according to Gordon’s email. The email indicated the company has treated the areas where bedbugs were observed; next weekend it will treat the whole building, including portable classrooms.
Spaces treated on Nov. 2 included classrooms 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 120B, the basement classrooms, the gyms and locker rooms and the Library Media Center and its associated spaces.
On Monday, students were given bags to take home their gym uniforms to wash and dry as a precaution, and students were given time to clear out their lockers, either discarding items or bagging them to take home. Students were also encouraged to discard all nonessential items, and things such as pillows, rugs and blankets.
This is the district’s second issue with bugs this school year. A portable classroom building at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School was not used during the first week of school after it was found to be infested with gnats.
July, August and September bring a seasonal surge of bedbug reports due to warm weather, according to BedBug Central, an online bedbug information resource, with schools, movie theaters and libraries among high-traffic public places where bedbugs could potentially hitch a ride home.
According to Gordon’s email, children whose parents choose to keep them at home during the treatment will have absences considered excused.
“I ask for your patience, support and understanding that we are doing this so that we can be confident that Hadley is clear of these pests,” Gordon said in the email. “I especially don’t want to alarm our students. We’ll have some disruption and then get right back to normal.”
Attempts to reach the principal and superintendent were unsuccessful.