Attendance drops as Parma School District battles bed bugs

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PARMA, OH (WOIO) - Media officials with the Parma School District say one of the schools where they found bed bugs this week has been cleared.

According to the school district's website, officials say Thoreau Park Elementary School has no more bed bugs in the building.

On Monday, school leaders shut down Thoreau for cleaning after finding the bugs.

The decision was one step forward, and two steps back for the district that discovered Parma High School and Shiloh Middle School buildings also had bed bugs on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, all three schools were open, but parents say they noticed lower attendance. A Shiloh student's parent says they know of at least 43 students who didn't attend school because of the bed begs.

Lucas Glaszner and his classmates are students at Valley Forge High, but come to Parma High to take a vocational program. He says he wanted to stay home, but as a senior set on graduating, there's work to be done.

"I was freaked out. I didn't want to come here, but we have a project we need to do," explains Glaszner.

For those who did come to school, they say they do what they can to stop the bugs from following them home at night.

"I don't go in my room immediately and I change my clothes when I get home," said Cody Bortor, a Parma High vocational student.

The district maintains that none of the buildings were infested.

On Wednesday, the district posted the following update on its website:

"Due to the presence of bed bugs at Thoreau Park Elementary School, Shiloh Middle School and Parma High school, the district is continuing its efforts to identify any other buildings that may have bed bugs.

We need to point out that none of the buildings have had bed bug infestations, but rather traveling bed bugs, most likely brought to the schools on backpacks, shoes or clothing of students, has caused the problem.

As soon as bed bugs are identified in a building or an area of the building, the district immediately closes either the building or the section of the building where the bed bugs are found. The professional pest control company then sends specially trained dogs that sniff out bed bugs locations and alerts their handlers. The identified areas are then isolated and treated.

No sprays or dangerous insecticides are used to kill bed bugs in our schools. The areas are closed off and then the temperature in the area is raised to approximately 130 degrees. The higher temperature kills the bugs. The bugs are cleared out of the area, the area is cleaned and then re-opened for student and staff use.

Today, September 30, 2015, Thoreau Park Elementary was again monitored an no further bed bugs have been found. Also today, another area at Parma High was identified with some bed bugs. The Parma High area is being handled by the pest control company in the same manner identified above.

There is really no way the school district can prevent bed bugs from entering the schools with staff and children coming and going daily. What we can do is always be monitoring our buildings, and always handling such situations as quickly and effectively as possible. The district takes the safety and students and staff seriously, and we have put the necessary resources in place to handle the situation.

You can learn more about how to treat bed bugs by going on the Cuyahoga County Health Department website at www.ccbh.net/bed-bugs. We are in constant contact with the Health Department and are following their protocols in dealing with the situation. You can also learn more information about bed bugs on the Parma City School District's website at www.parmacityschools.org/schoolhealth."