TEMPE, AZ — A rat infestation at Corona del Sol High School is raising health concerns among parents, who say encounters with the rodents have become too frequent.
Hollie Gorden was walking the halls with her daughter for a campus preview night, checking out classes for the new school year, when she saw a rat firsthand.
"I honestly was in shock because I had heard that there had been a rat problem, but I had never actually [seen] one," Gorden said. "So when I did, I kind of jumped back against the other wall."
The problem has circulated in a parent group on Facebook, with parents saying teachers have opened drawers to find rats jumping out. Gorden, whose daughter is a cheerleader, says rats have also been leaving feces and urine in the cheer room, and have chewed into snack items.
A Tempe Union High School District spokesperson told ABC15 the district became aware of the issue on July 15. The campus maintenance team responded, and the district brought in a pest control company.
Sarah James, who also has a daughter at Corona del Sol and served one term on the Tempe Union High School District's Governing Board until 2024, thinks the infestation may be connected to a recent auditorium upgrade.
"We know with construction, critters come out. The district, I know, is tackling that," James said.
"One thing that the district does very well is they monitor situations, whether that's academic achievement [or] safety protocols on campuses."
James says she wants parents to look beyond the immediate issue and consider what she sees as more impactful problems facing public schools.
"I would love for all the parents that are angry about rats to be angry about the state of our legislature," James said. "About the underfunding that leads to things like poor quality of buildings."
Gorden says she hopes the school can resolve the problem quickly.
"We love Corona; our kids love Corona," Gorden said. "I don't want to see the school have to close down to fix the problem. I'd rather them be able to fix it now before it gets any worse."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
