Mouse Droppings, Fungus In Chelmsford School Kitchens: Report

CHELMSFORD, MA — Several Massachusetts schools have had a problem with rodents in their kitchens in the past two years, including in Chelmsford, according a Boston 25 News investigation.

Health inspectors also found three schools were not in compliance with allergy certifications. They found issues at Parker Middle School, black fungus at McCarthy Middle and mice droppings inside a walk-in cooler, and other rooms where food was kept at Community Education.

In response the district's superintendent sent out a letter to parents and guardians.

"When routine inspections over the past year revealed areas in need of improvement in our kitchens, we took immediate action to identify the cause and remediate the issues," said Superintendent Jay Lang.

He said staff Allergen Awareness Certifications are all current and have been posted and there's a new procedure put in place to ensure that when staff move between schools, their certifications are reposted in their new location.

At the McCarthy Middle School, he said they removed and replaced a damp storage room wall in the summer of 2019, when no children were in the building, encasing the new wall in sheet metal in an effort to prevent further water issues. Lang said the district had someone deep clean the walk-in refrigerator and replace a door seal to ensure a tight fit to prevent leaks.

At the Parker Middle School, they are budgeting to replace the concrete floor. Lang said the floor is clean "but appears dirty" because of its age. They've also instituted a more rigorous cleaning schedule by an outside vendor to augment ongoing cleaning by custodial and kitchen staff.

In the Community Education space, Lang said they have a contracted pest control service on it.

"We will monitor our kitchens—and these areas in particular— very closely to ensure that the Chelmsford Public Schools continue to provide the safest and healthiest possible school environment," he said in the letter.

See the public inspection reports obtained by Boston 25: Chelmsford School Cafeteria Inspections 2019 and read the full story Dirty kitchen: What's in your kid's school cafeteria?

Patch reached out to the district's superintendent for comment.