By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
NEWPORT, N.H. — Richards School in Newport was closed Monday due to an issue with bats in the building, according to an email and Facebook post addressed to parents, guardians, and staff by SAU 43 Superintendent Donna Magoon.
“As you may be aware, bats have been present in the Richards Elementary School building,” Magoon wrote in a message on Jan. 3. “Yesterday, one of the bats was observed flying inside the school. Ensuring the safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and we are taking this situation very seriously.”
Now, she is waiting for Department of Health and Human Services and the town’s health inspector for an idea of where to go from here.
“As of right now, I got one thumbs up and waiting on the final determination from the specialists as to whether school will be open on Tuesday,” Magoon said at 3:33 p.m. on Monday. “But so far, things look good, but I could get a call at 3:34 p.m. to tell me that it isn’t on. So, we are still waiting for final approval from DHHS.”
Magoon said to address the issue, the Newport School District has arranged for Monadnock Pest and Wildlife Services to conduct a full inspection of Richards Elementary School.
“We have been contacted by SAU staff to assess the bat situation, and, provide an estimate for humane bat removal services from the building based on those findings,” said Jeff Traynor, owner/operator Monadnock Pest & Wildlife Services. “Monday’s visit is our first time setting foot on the property and we have no definitive information regarding the extent or history of the issue ahead of our inspection. At this time, we respectfully defer any questions regarding the situation to the SAU. We welcome the opportunity to assist the SAU in any way we can.”
She said to allow for a “comprehensive inspection and ensure all necessary measures are taken,” Richards Elementary School was closed on Monday, Jan. 6. All other schools in the Newport School District remained open.
Magoon explained that staff members at the elementary school recently started to feel sick, and an air quality test was conducted. They all had similar symptoms and tested the air for mold, as well as checking a piece of a tile. Both tests came back negative and Magoon wondered what the issue could be.
Magoon recalled a conversation she had with a former facilities manager who said there were some bats living in the attic. She had also been talking with her son about bats because they thought there might be one living in the siding of their house, and the topic of bat guano came up. Her son spoke about how unhealthy it could be, and it dawned on her that this could be the issue at the school.
The school had JP Pest Services carry out an inspection, and they couldn’t clean it because there was so much.
“Some of the guano was six inches high,” Magoon said. “It was disgusting.”
Servpro came out and said they couldn’t use certain sprays because bats were a protected species. This was confirmed by N.H. Fish and Game, who said there is a special vacuum that could clean it up. Fish and Game also said they could collect the bats to bring them to “Wings of Dawn,” which is a sanctuary.
The problem, however, was that there were hundreds of bats, so these potential options couldn’t be done.
Magoon said the facilities manager said a photo was taken of part of a wood structure near the chimney, and the bats were lined up two to three deep. Over December break the school had someone come clean the guano, and when they got there, the bats were gone.
This was actually not a good sign, however, as the bats were migrating to warmth. That meant that the bats were in between the ceiling and their students and staff, and they were hibernating.
“On Thursday, one of the bats decided to wake up and made its way down into our building,” she said. “A teacher was walking in the hallway and it swooped down at her, which is natural. They look for air flow, and they’re so used to flying freely, but he was trying to get out of the building and instead scared the staff member.”
Magoon called Fish and Game again, and then Monadnock Pest and Wildlife to perform a full inspection. On Monday, a full inspection was done and there were no bats to be seen. However, this is because they are hibernating in small spaces.
Magoon described the bats as “huge,” saying they are called “big brown bats” and are the size of a hand.
Any of the little holes in the school’s ceilings are currently being taped up to stop the air flow and keep bats from going into the school.
Magoon said that she had sent out a letter to the Richards School community, and that they were waiting on DHHS approval on whether to open or not. However, she added that it does seem likely that school will be open as usual on Tuesday.
“We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to ensure the safety and well-being of our school community,” Magoon wrote.
