Local News

In wake of theater closure, Mass. city launching all-out attack on mice in schools

The district said it has sealed potential entry points for the mice and has developed weekly cleanliness plans at each school.

Methuen High School. A letter sent to Methuen Public Schools families and faculty Saturday discusses how the school district is addressing a rodent problem in its school buildings. Jim Davis/Globe Staff

By Lindsay Shachnow

December 16, 2024

1 minute to read

Methuen officials sent a message to the school community Saturday about a rodent problem that has plagued the district for months.

City inspectors uncovered mice at the Marsh Grammar School, Tenney Grammar School, Timony Grammar School, and Methuen High School, according to Superintendent Brandi Kwong.

But the city’s school district is not the only place facing a rodent problem. The AMC Methuen 20 theater has been closed since Dec. 5, after a customer reported seeing a rodent at the theater that prompted an investigation by local health officials.

The letter sent to Methuen Public Schools families and faculty outlines preventative measures, including cleaning protocols, facility oversight, and monitoring that the district is implementing to address the issue which has been ongoing since September.

The district said it has sealed potential entry points for the mice and has developed weekly cleanliness plans at each school.

Mayor David Beauregard has been meeting with school officials each week to “review progress, address staffing needs, determine next steps, and prioritize capital improvement projects related to facilities and maintenance,” the letter said.

“Thanks to the efforts led by Mayor Beauregard, significant progress has been made, but we recognize there is still work to do,” Methuen School Committee member Dan Shibilia told Boston.com. “As a parent of two young kids in the district, I have a personal and professional commitment to seeing this work through and ensuring all concerns are fully resolved.”

The letter also states that all food must be consumed in the cafeterias and designated staff rooms. The change, the letter said, will help “contain food sources and eliminate conditions that attract pests.”

“Mice are very savvy,” School Committee member Kenneth Willette told Boston.com. “All they will require is a food source.”

The district has also reached out to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to conduct a comprehensive review of the schools, according to Kwong.

“This is all hands on deck,” Willette said. “We need to implement scientifically validated methods to eradicate the mice situation.”