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Rats in Milwaukee high school kitchen; health concerns raised
The Milwaukee Health Department has been filing reports about rats in a Milwaukee Public Schools kitchen for months. Now, FOX6 News is revealing what was found in those documents.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Health Department has been filing reports about rats in a Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) kitchen for months. Now, FOX6 News is revealing what was found in those documents.
The health department records for this issue at North Division High School started in October. If the problems are not corrected soon, health officials say it could close the kitchen by next week.
North Division High School students say they are not surprised rats are a problem in the building.
"It’s dirty in there; really dirty. Dirty everywhere," said one student. "My teacher was like, ‘There’s rats in the school already running down the hallway.’ I was like, rats?!?"
That student's mother gave her permission to speak with FOX6 News, but did not want her identified out of fear of retaliation.
North Division High School, Milwaukee
Parents FOX6 News spoke with were shocked.
"That really does raise a health concern and a safety concern for sure," said Tysheka Frazier, whose daughter attends North Division.
The records show…
FOX6 News obtained a dozen records from the Milwaukee Health Department. During a routine visit last October, inspectors saw "evidence of rat droppings in the dry storage area." Inspectors gave the school two weeks to correct the issue.
In November, inspectors noted "some progress," but still found rat droppings.
North Division High School, Milwaukee
A month later, inspectors spotted a "live rodent in the restroom" during their visit. That same day, the health department issued an "intent to cease operations" notice to the school after finding "evidence of pests in the main kitchen…where food is prepared."
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The health department dropped the notice in January after finding "no new activity."
But then, during a special visit in March, inspectors say rats returned. This time, they noted rat droppings "below a dish washing machine" and on "top of a box by (a) mixer." There was even evidence that rat "traps were found pushed out of place."
North Division High School, Milwaukee
On April 14, the Milwaukee Health Department told MPS the "in-house pest control program has not been successful." Inspectors told the school to have a backup plan to prepare food at another location.
"That is something that should have been addressed a long time ago," Frazier said.
Milwaukee Public Schools statement
"Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is working closely with the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD), staff, and outside vendors to ensure that all measures are being taken to resolve a pest issue identified at our North Division High School food preparation site. The Health Department has found no evidence of food being contaminated.
"MPS was notified of this issue in October and took immediate action to address it; working closely with the Milwaukee Health Department and utilizing licensed personnel to perform eradication measures. MPS has also conferred with an outside vendor that confirmed the district is implementing all necessary measures to rectify the issue.
"This facility impacted is one of the district’s smallest food preparation sites. All food preparation areas are washed and sanitized daily and all meals prepared at this location are heat-sealed and stored in a refrigerator or freezer.
"The district uses quality control measures, ensuring that if any food were ever identified as being compromised it would be destroyed."
Pests are a distraction
In the end, students say this has been a daily distraction.
"People barely want to sit down in the classrooms because they heard there’s rats," the student said.
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A health department spokeswoman added that closing a school kitchen is not something officials take lightly. In some cases, a school meal may be a child's only meal of the day.
Both the health department and MPS declined FOX6 News requests of on-camera interviews.