Sunday, October 6, 2024
Taylor County Middle School Parents/Guardians, Faculty, and Staff,
I’m providing this message in hopes that it can clear up some confusion regarding the recent discovery of roaches in a couple locations at the Middle School.
As you are aware, the Taylor County Middle School has recently been dealing with an unfortunate circumstance involving the discovery of, and procedures to eliminate roaches. While the discovery has been troubling, I’m told that this circumstance is not unique to the Taylor County Middle School as roaches somehow find their way into many facilities such as a school, (i.e., restaurants, stores, warehouses, and other large storage facilities, etc.), and, sadly true, even hospitals.
While we are not happy that these unwelcome pests were recently discovered in the Taylor County Middle School, our goal is to eliminate them as quickly and efficiently as possible. When doing so, we rely on professional exterminating companies to perform their work in a manner that does not disrupt the routine operations of the school. Hence, we try to schedule the needed treatment during a weekend. We also try to prepare the facility for the exterminator(s) prior to their arrival to help make the treatment process quick and effective. This is what took place prior to the end of last week.
The process involved, asking the faculty and staff to move any moveable furniture a bit away from walls and items sitting on the floor raised to a counter, etc. Likewise, students were asked to clean out their lockers (a good routine practice anyway as it’s amazing what you find being stored within). The goal was to clean out unnecessary items and make the exterminator’s work more effective in the process.
When preparing to conduct extermination treatments for pests of any kind, our routine practice has been to send out a message to parents who have indicated a preference of being notified as a part of informational packet provided at the beginning of the school year. As a result, although we were thinking our recent process of notification was in accordance with the wishes of all parents/guardians at the school, obviously, that was incorrect.
For this oversight, I am offering my sincerest apologies. I assure you that my intent has never been to place anyone, (our students, faculty, staff, parents/guardians, and or other stakeholders or visitors), in jeopardy of being injured in any way. Likewise, no deception was in place.
At this point, the extermination process was completed early Saturday morning. In addition, we have asked our faculty and staff to practice immediate emptying and disposal of any/all shipping/packing materials that enter the building where materials/supplies have been ordered. Likewise, we are asking our students not to store food items in their lockers. And I am asking that previous practice of notifying only those who provided a preference to be informed be discontinued such that all families will receive the same notifications.
Once, again, please accept my apologies for any of the confusion of this past weekend that our limited notification may have contributed.
Sincerely/Respectfully,
Dr. John E. Stallings, Jr.
Superintendent