George, Iowa — The first day of school at George-Little Rock has been pushed back — due to bats.
According to new George-Little Rock Superintendent John Eyerly, who just started in his position this summer, the first day of school is now scheduled for Monday, August 28, 2017.
He says that recently a colony of bats was discovered at GLR High School, and that they have contracted with Orkin to remove the bats and completely sanitize the affected areas of the school.
Orkin representative Lia Conrad says that they don’t know how long the bats have been in the school, but she gives us an idea of the time they were discovered.
We asked her how many bats we were talking about. She says since they aren’t capturing them, they can’t count them, but…
She says that by “remains” she means bat waste — called “guano.” Conrad says that since bats are protected in Iowa, they are not killing the bats in any way. She tells us how they are making sure they are no longer a problem.
She assures us that no poison or chemicals are being used to get rid of the bat problem. She says the school has been great to work with.
Superintendent Eyerly says that student and staff health is their top priority. He says that delaying the start of school will ensure that the project will be completed and there will not be a safety risk to students, staff and community members.
A statement from the school says that all extracurricular activities and events including practices will proceed at their scheduled times. If you have any questions, they encourage you to contact the school.
