Rat infestation delays start of classes at California high school

MONTEBELLO, Calif. — The 2020-21 school year was unlike any other in U.S. education history due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2021-22 school year got off to an even more bizarre start at one California high school.

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Rats running through the classrooms at Schurr High School in Montebello have delayed the beginning of classes, KTLA reported.

Surveillance video from one of the classrooms showed a rat scurrying around a cabinet before jumping onto the floor, the television station reported. School officials reported rat droppings and papers that appeared to be nibbled by the rodents.

Mark Skvarna, the interim superintendent for the Montebello Unified School District, wrote in a letter to parents on Monday that the infestation was discovered as the school was performing a maintenance assessment, KABC reported.

“Out of an abundance of caution, it was determined that the best course of action was to delay the start of school for everyone’s safety,” Skvarna wrote. “Your students’ teachers will be communicating with you regarding next steps.”

Al Cuevas, a social studies teacher at the high school, expressed his disappointment in an Instagram post, KTLA reported.

“Today was supposed to be my first day of school in person since March 2020 at Schurr High School,” Cuevas wrote. “Instead, we’re shut down because of a complete rat infestation,” he wrote.

In a follow-up statement on Tuesday, Skvarna said the high school will be “moving forward with instruction via the modified independent studies model” beginning Thursday, according to KTLA.

David Navar, the president of the Montebello Teachers Association, said rats have been a problem at the high school for several years, KCBS reported.

“It’s a tragedy,” Navar told the television station. “It’s a disaster for our students who are losing out on valuable instructional days.”

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